Director - Quality Assurance

U.S. Fusion Energy; Illinois; On-site; USD 180,000 - 225,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary range $180,000-$225,000

Comprehensive health benefits

Employee equity stock options

20 days PTO

Job summary

Thea Energy is recruiting a Director of Quality Assurance to lead and build the company’s quality organization from the ground up. You will drive strategy, establish scalable QMS, and partner with engineering and manufacturing to embed quality into early hardware and software designs.

Ideal candidates bring 10–15+ years in QA within high-consequence sectors, startup-scale experience, and strong knowledge of ISO 9001/AS9100/NQA-1, with OSHA 30hr or equivalent safety focus.

Qualifications

• 10–15+ years in Quality Assurance/Quality Control in high-consequence industries.
• Experience scaling a quality function in a hardware startup or early-stage manufacturing.
• "Player-coach" style, able to lead executives and work on the factory floor.
• Deep knowledge of ISO 9001, AS9100, NQA-1 or equivalent frameworks.
• OSHA 30hr or equivalent safety experience.

Responsibilities

• Draft and implement foundational quality frameworks from scratch.
• Hire, mentor, and lead a growing team of quality engineers and inspectors.
• Architect and mature an enterprise-wide QMS aligned with standards.
• Establish supplier quality governance and audit critical vendors.
• Partner with engineering and manufacturing to embed quality checks early.
• Lead internal audits, root cause analyses, and continuous improvement.

Skills

QA leadership

Startup experience

Cross-functional leadership

Quality systems

Communication

Problem solving

Tools

ISO 9001

AS9100

NQA-1

Job description

Director - Quality Assurance

Kearny, NJ

Technology - Tech Operations /

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 seeking a experienced, entrepreneurial Director of Quality Assurance. This role is a strategic leader who possesses the startup grit to be completely hands-on on day one, with the vision to architect and scale our entire quality organization as we grow. This role requires a unique blend of high-level strategic foresight and a passionate, "roll-up-your-sleeves" execution mindset.

Key Responsibility Areas

• Startup Agility & Execution: Act as the primary, hands-on quality practitioner initially drafting documentation, executing first-article inspections, and setting up the foundational quality frameworks from scratch.
• Team Scaling & Leadership: Develop the hiring roadmap for the quality organization; recruit, mentor, and lead a high-performing team of quality engineers and inspectors as the company scales.
• Enterprise QMS Architecture: Architect, implement, and continuously mature an agile, enterprise-wide Quality Management System (QMS) compliant with rigorous standards (e.g., ISO 9001, AS9100, NQA-1) while balancing high speed execution
• Supplier Governance: Establish a world-class supplier quality engineering framework, auditing initial critical vendors and managing incoming and in-process validation for complex hardware components.
• Cross-Functional Integration: Partner intimately with engineering and manufacturing teams to implement appropriate, value add, quality checks and risk-mitigation frameworks into early-stage hardware and software designs.
• Continuous Improvement: Lead internal audits, anomaly investigations, and Root Cause Analysis (RCA) to drive an organizational culture of continuous improvement and safety.

Ideal Experience & Skillsets

• 10-15+ years of progressive experience in Quality Assurance/Quality Control within high-consequence, complex industries (aerospace, defense, automotive, or advanced energy).
• Proven Startup/Scaleup Experience: Direct experience working in a fast-paced hardware startup or early-stage manufacturing environment where you successfully scaled a quality department from the ground up.
• "Player-Coach" Mentality: A demonstrated history of being equally comfortable pitching a quality strategy to executives/investors and being on the production floor troubleshooting hardware non-conformances.
• Deep Framework Knowledge: Strong familiarity with ISO 9001, AS9100, NQA-1, or equivalent quality frameworks.
• Safety Focus: Strong alignment with environment, health, and safety standards (OSHA 30hr Certification or equivalent experience preferred).
• Exceptional Communication: Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to influence cross-functional technical teams and maintain rigorous quality ethics with absolute discretion.

Company Benefits

• Salary range $180,000-$225,000
• Comprehensive health benefits (e.g. medical/dental/vision)
• Employee equity stock options
• 20 days PTO

Requirements

• Ability to occasionally lift up to 50 lbs.
• Ability to perform activities such as typing, standing, or sitting for extended periods of time.
• Willingness to occasionally travel or work required nights/weekends/on-call.
• Ability to work in a facility that contains industrial hazards including heat, cold, noise, fumes, strong magnets, high voltage, high current, pressure systems, and cryogenics.

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.