Director - Nuclear Engineering

Thea Energy; Kearny (NJ); On-site; USD 160,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Employee equity stock options

PTO 20 days

Job summary

Thea Energy is seeking a Director of Nuclear Engineering to lead our nuclear engineering program for a first-of-a-kind integrated fusion system. You will steer safety, design, and regulatory compliance while building and mentoring a high-performing team in a startup setting.

Ideal candidates have 15+ years in nuclear engineering, leadership in advanced nuclear projects, and a strong ability to translate business needs into technical strategies.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of work experience in nuclear engineering or a related field.
• Proven leadership on cutting-edge nuclear projects (e.g., Gen-IV, SMR, accelerator projects).
• Experience thriving in a startup environment with proven team-building ability.
• Strong analytical skills and understanding of first principles in engineering.
• Ability to translate business needs into technical solutions.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead and grow a world-class team of nuclear engineers.
• Direct the nuclear design of fusion systems including blanket, shield, and fuel cycle.
• Manage system facility nuclear aspects, dose rates, activation products, and high-energy cascades.
• Interface safety, regulatory compliance, and environmental standards.
• Recruit, mentor, and develop engineering talent.
• Collaborate with system owners to align development with schedules.
• Ensure quality and accuracy of the team's work, reports, and presentations.

Skills

leadership experience

analytical skills

communication skills

startup experience

Education

MS/PhD in nuclear engineering

Job description

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

Its not necessary to meet all of the skillsets outlined above.

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.