Director - Nuclear Engineering

U.S. Fusion Energy; Illinois; On-site; USD 160,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary range: $160,000-$230,000

Comprehensive health benefits

Employee equity stock options

20 days PTO

Job summary

Thea Energy is seeking a Director of Nuclear Engineering to lead the nuclear engineering program for its first-of-a-kind fusion system. You will supervise the design, safety, and regulatory aspects of the project, ensuring robust, compliant solutions as the team tackles challenging fusion technology.

The ideal candidate has 15+ years in nuclear engineering, a strong leadership record, and proven ability to scale teams in a startup environment.

Qualifications

• MS or PhD in nuclear engineering required.
• 15+ years of work experience in nuclear engineering or related field.
• Leadership experience in cutting-edge nuclear projects (e.g. SMR, molten salt, fast reactors, Gen-IV).
• Startup environment experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead and grow a world-class nuclear engineering team.
• Direct nuclear design of fusion systems and subsystems (blanket, shield, bioshield, fuel cycle).
• Interface safety, regulatory compliance, and environmental standards for the fusion device and facility.
• Collaborate with engineering owners to align development with design schedules.
• Ensure quality and accuracy of the team's nuclear engineering work and reports.

Skills

Leadership

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Startup experience

Education

MS/PhD in nuclear engineering

Job description

Director - Nuclear Engineering
Kearny, NJ
Technology - Nuclear Engineering /
Full-time /
On-site

About Thea Energy

Thea Energy is leveraging recent breakthroughs in stellarator physics and engineering to create a faster and simpler approach to commercializing fusion energy. The company is reinventing the stellarator using computer-controlled arrays of planar coils thereby replacing the intricate, complex modular magnets required in all other stellarator architectures. Thea Energy is on a mission to create a limitless source of zero emission energy for a sustainable future.

Position Overview

Thea Energy is hiring for a Director - Nuclear Engineering to lead our nuclear engineering team. This role will orchestrate the nuclear design and safety parameters essential to our first-of-a-kind integrated fusion system. You will be responsible for effectively leading and managing the day-to-day nuclear engineering program. Your efforts will directly contribute to the organization's success by ensuring safe, compliant, and efficient nuclear designs. Thea Energy's dynamic team is made up of self-motivated individuals with an excitement for solving complex problems.

Key Responsibility Areas

• Lead and grow a world-class team of nuclear engineers working on the cutting edge of commercial fusion power technology.
• Direct the nuclear design of fusion systems, including blanket, shield, bioshield, and fuel cycle.
• Manage the nuclear aspects of the system facility, including tracking and engineering the cascade of high-energy particles, managing activation products, and calculating dose rates.
• Interface all aspects of safety, regulatory compliance, and environmental standards for the fusion device and facility.
• Build organizational capabilities by recruiting and retaining talent, mentoring, and fostering professional growth.
• Proactively collaborate and communicate with engineering system owners to prioritize and align development and execution with design schedules.
• Be accountable for the quality and accuracy of the team's nuclear engineering work, reports, and presentations.

Ideal Experience & Skillsets

• MS or PhD in nuclear engineering.
• 15+ years of work experience in nuclear engineering or a similar technical field.
• Proven leadership experience in cutting-edge nuclear projects, such as fission reactor projects (e.g. small modular reactors, molten salt reactors, fast reactors, Gen-IV reactors) or accelerator projects.
• Demonstrated experience thriving in a startup environment, with a track record of successfully building and managing teams.
• Strong analytical skills and an understanding of the first principles of engineering.
• A proven ability to motivate and catalyze teams into action through influence and strong leadership.
• Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex business needs into technical solutions.

Company Benefits

• Salary range: $160,000-$230,000
• Comprehensive health benefits (e.g. medical/dental/vision)
• Employee equity stock options
• 20 days PTO

It's not necessary to meet all of the skillsets outlined above. Please feel free to send us a note and tell us why you would still be a great fit for this role or Thea Energy.

Diversity And Inclusion

Thea Energy is an equal opportunity employer committed to creating a company of diverse backgrounds. By creating a diverse environment, we will bring new ideas and approaches to solving some of the world’s hardest (and most important) problems. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, family or marital status, age, disability, veteran's status, or other characteristic protected by applicable laws and regulations.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.