--- title: 'Associate, Corporate Development at Mariana Minerals' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/associate-corporate-development-mariana-minerals-houston-rbz4jm1qw29v' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-10-30' --- # Associate, Corporate Development at Mariana Minerals - **Company:** Mariana Minerals - **Location:** Houston, TX - **Compensation:** $100k–$140k - **Employment:** full-time - **Work type:** onsite - **Posted:** 2026-10-23 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-30 - **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/marianaminerals/75cbda69-26a7-4596-9d80-419416cdebbd ## Job description ## About Mariana Minerals Mariana Minerals is a software-first, vertically integrated minerals company on a mission to supply the critical minerals powering modern energy, AI, and defense technologies. We’re reimagining the minerals supply chain by combining deep industry expertise with advanced software, automation, and data-driven decision-making. The Corporate Development team Corporate Development raises the capital and closes the transactions that take Mariana's projects from development to operation. The team sits at the intersection of corporate finance, project finance, and M&A, and works directly with the CEO, CFO, and commercial leadership. The team's work spans: - Corporate and project financing: equity raises, project-level equity, project finance debt, export credit agency and government-backed financing, venture and corporate debt. - Structured commercial transactions: offtake agreements, prepayments, working capital and inventory financing with strategics and commodity trading houses. - M&A and partnerships: acquisitions, joint ventures, and strategic partnerships across lithium, copper, and adjacent minerals. - Investor relations: materials, process management, and ongoing engagement with existing and prospective investors and lenders. We are hiring an Associate and a Manager. Both roles report to the Director of Corporate Development, are based in Houston, and will help build how the function itself runs on MarianaOS. Associate, Corporate Development The Associate is the analytical engine of the team: building the models, materials, and diligence work that underpin every financing and transaction. You will have direct exposure to senior management and counterparties from day one, on live deals. ## What you'll do - Build and maintain financial models: project-level DCFs, life-of-mine models, financing structures, returns and sensitivity analysis, and corporate funding plans. - Prepare investor presentations, lender materials, board materials, and internal decision memos. - Run diligence workstreams: manage data rooms, coordinate third-party advisors (technical, legal, environmental, market), and track and respond to diligence requests. - Analyze and benchmark transaction terms, including offtake, prepayment, and debt term sheets, and support the team in negotiations. - Track comparable transactions and peer companies to inform valuation and strategy. - Help build the function's tooling on MarianaOS: models, data pipelines, and workflows that make the team faster. ## What we're looking for - 2–4+ years in investment banking, private equity, or corporate development. - Strong financial modeling from a blank page; comfortable building and auditing complex, integrated models. - Clear, concise written communication and polished presentation materials. - High ownership and attention to detail; able to run multiple workstreams in parallel. - Bachelor's degree in finance, economics, engineering, or a related field. ## Nice to have - Exposure to project finance, natural resources, or infrastructure transactions. - Familiarity with mining concepts (reserves and resources, technical reports, commodity pricing). - Comfort with Python, SQL, or other tools beyond Excel. Our culture is built on four principles: Everyone Gets Home Safe. We never put speed or cost ahead of people. Extreme Ownership. We take full responsibility for outcomes, relentlessly driving toward solutions. Engineer Out Requirements, then Automate. We simplify, optimize, and then automate for scale. Share Your Legos. We collaborate openly, share knowledge, and empower each other to build bigger, better solutions. Join us as we build the future of responsible mineral sourcing and supply! ## About Mariana Minerals ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Mariana Minerals is a software-first, vertically integrated minerals company focused on supplying the minerals critical to modern energy, AI, and defense technologies. - **Entity Type**: Private (Series A, $85M funding in July 2025) - **Headquarters**: San Francisco, California, United States - **Founded**: Not publicly available - **Founders**: Turner Caldwell (Co-Founder & CEO) ## Core Business - **Primary industry**: Metal Ore Mining / Critical Minerals - **Target customers**: B2B – energy, AI, and defense supply chains (including downstream manufacturers and government entities) - **Mission or purpose**: "Create a future of critical mineral abundance" by reimagining the global minerals supply chain with software, automation, and data-driven decision making. ## Products & Services - **Copper One (formerly Lisbon Valley Copper Mine)**: World’s first autonomous mine, located in Utah. Produces copper using integrated automation and software control. Restarted production in April 2026. - **Lithium One**: Lithium project (on the roadmap or early development). - **Other mineral projects**: Graphite, Uranium, Rare Earth Metals, Cobalt, Nickel, Aluminium – at various stages (stealth or roadmap). - **CapitalProjectOS**: Internal software platform for capital project management (mentioned in leadership bio). - **Technology Stack**: React, dbt, TypeScript, Python, TensorFlow, PyTorch, microservices, SCADA, Autodesk, and many others – indicating a strong software engineering backbone. ## Market Standing - **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not disclosed (private company) - **Key Metric**: Total funding – $85M Series A (July 2025, 1 investor) - **Notable Investors/Partners**: Lead investor not publicly disclosed (Andreessen Horowitz was pitched but not confirmed as an investor). Partners include Bot Auto, WeRide, Pronto, Atoms (based on LinkedIn mentions). Also works with UMA (Utah Mining Association). - **Growth Signals**: Headcount grew 3,575% YoY to 107 employees (as of mid-2026). 73 active job postings. Opened the world’s first autonomous mine (Copper One) in April/May 2026, generating significant industry news and social media engagement. ## Competitive Advantages - **Software-first approach**: The company builds automation and data systems from the ground up, rather than layering tech onto legacy mining operations. This enables fully autonomous mining. - **Vertical integration**: They develop, own, and operate mineral projects, controlling the entire value chain from extraction to processing. - **Deep tech stack**: Use of AI/ML (TensorFlow, PyTorch), simulation, and real-time control systems to optimize mining operations. - **First-mover in autonomous mining**: Copper One is claimed to be the world’s first autonomous mine, giving them a significant lead in operational efficiency and safety. ## Strategic Focus - Scale autonomous mining operations beyond copper (lithium, graphite, uranium, etc.) - Secure domestic supply of critical minerals for U.S. energy, AI, and defense needs. - Continue aggressive hiring across engineering, operations, and field roles. - Expand from Utah to additional sites (Houston engineering office, potential new projects). ## Why Work Here - **Culture principles**: "Extreme Ownership", "Engineer Out Requirements, Then Automate", "Share Your Legos" – emphasizing accountability, simplification, and collaboration. - **Work environment**: High-growth startup with a mission-driven focus on critical infrastructure. Offices in San Francisco (HQ), Houston (Engineering), and La Sal, Utah (mine site). Hybrid/remote policy not explicitly stated, but multiple office locations suggest flexibility for field vs. office roles. - **Notable perks**: Opportunity to work on cutting-edge autonomous systems and AI in a traditional industry. Strong engineering culture with modern tech stack (React, Python, ML). Rapid career growth due to company expansion. - **Talent sources**: Attracts talent from Tesla, Redwood Materials, Lilac, ExxonMobil, Amazon Web Services, and other tech/energy companies – indicating a high-caliber peer group. ## Sources 1. [marianaminerals.com](https://marianaminerals.com/) 2. [marianaminerals.com/careers](https://marianaminerals.com/careers) 3. [marianaminerals.com/about](https://marianaminerals.com/about) 4. [jobs.ashbyhq.com/marianaminerals](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/marianaminerals) 5. [linkedin.com/company/mariana-minerals](https://www.linkedin.com/company/mariana-minerals) ## Other roles at Mariana Minerals - [Stacking/Sizer Operator](https://feeny.ai/job/stacking-sizer-operator-mariana-minerals-moab-q08nvmvtbbap) — Moab, UT - [R&D Technician](https://feeny.ai/job/r-d-technician-mariana-minerals-san-francisco-3q98f6mnvpmg) — San Francisco, CA - [Analytical Lab Chemist](https://feeny.ai/job/analytical-lab-chemist-mariana-minerals-san-francisco-dwx9kyd8dfqn) — San Francisco, CA - [Mobile Maintenance Supervisor](https://feeny.ai/job/mobile-maintenance-supervisor-mariana-minerals-moab-7ewztvzzvw62) — Moab, UT - [Administrative Assistant](https://feeny.ai/job/administrative-assistant-mariana-minerals-houston-bamf8ahyve5k) — Houston, TX - [Senior/Staff Chemical Process Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-staff-chemical-process-engineer-mariana-minerals-san-francisco-34b0xfs3fzep) — San Francisco, CA - [Process Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/process-engineer-mariana-minerals-moab-5tajjyjgxp0g) — Moab, UT - [Controls Technician](https://feeny.ai/job/controls-technician-mariana-minerals-joaquin-rj03sx442xtf) — Joaquin, TX - [Manager, Corporate Development](https://feeny.ai/job/manager-corporate-development-mariana-minerals-houston-zeyejbwkyfbj) — Houston, TX - [Process Maintenance Technician](https://feeny.ai/job/process-maintenance-technician-mariana-minerals-moab-krhtmk9tqnmf) — Moab, UT