Copper Buyer
Charleston, South Carolina
About Red Metals
Red Metals is rethinking the domestic copper supply chain at a pivotal moment in American industry.
Copper underpins electrification, data centers, and defense systems. U.S. demand already exceeds domestic supply, and the gap is widening as grid modernization, the energy transition, and buildout of AI infrastructure accelerate.
We are building a new model for this critical industrial layer in the United States.
The Role
We are hiring a Copper Buyer to join our commercial team and lead deals and relationships across copper-bearing scrap purchases, sales, and trades.
You will support post-consumer scrap feedstock acquisition, trading of various grades of copper-bearing and related scrap, and sales of intermediate copper and copper-bearing scrap products and you will own performance, reliability, and management of scrap materials flow.
What You’ll Do
Lead purchasing of copper-bearing scrap feedstocks from regional scrapyards, recyclers, and traders
Develop and maintain relationships with key players in the regional nonferrous scrap market
Drive financial performance through raw material sourcing, scrap trading, and inventory management
Identify and pursue leads and deals related to copper-bearing scrap purchases and sales
Work side by side with the rest of the Commercial team, as well as Engineering and Finance, to drive overall company performance
Analyze scrap volume and price data and drive improvements in regional market intelligence and pricing strategy
Own post-consumer scrap purchasing performance, including incoming scrap grades and cost
Pursue trading and sales opportunities to improve company profitability and cash position
Source the feedstocks needed to test, develop, and run the manufacturing line
Travel regionally as needed to support purchasing, trading, selling, and relationship-building activities
Red Metals Non-Negotiables
Bias for Action
We move fast. Speed beats polish. We use every tool, especially AI, to accelerate decisions, execution, and learning.
Grit
We do hard things because they matter. We keep pushing when others quit.
Ownership
We own outcomes, not tasks. We see problems, fix them, and follow through across functions.
Signal
We cut through noise. We communicate clearly and directly so decisions are fast and execution stays sharp.
Craft
We take pride in our work. Quality, care, and precision are the standard.
What We’re Looking For
3-8+ years raw materials purchasing experience, ideally scrap or nonferrous metals
Experience in purchasing scrap or nonferrous metals, especially as a feedstock for industrial or refining operations
Comfortable supporting plant requirements and working in an industrial environment
Strong collaboration, transparency, and customer-focused mindset
Ability to operate with incomplete information and make sound decisions quickly
Demonstrated ability or potential to lead projects or teams in a fast-moving environment
Strong Pluses:
Degree in business, logistics, supply chain, or related field, or equivalent hands-on experience demonstrating purchasing and selling capability
Experience with the Southeast, South Carolina, or Charleston area scrap and recycling market
Experience in purchasing raw materials for a manufacturing process
Experience with copper scrap trading
Startup or early-stage experience
Why Red Metals
Build a company from zero, not optimize an existing system
Direct ownership of critical process and operational decisions
Work on a problem that matters: rebuilding U.S. industrial capacity
Small team, high trust, no bureaucracy
Location
This role is based in Charleston, South Carolina and requires on-site work.