Operations Lead

Fusion Energy Base; Albuquerque (NM); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

Relocation assistance

Flexible time off

2 weeks paid time off at year end

Leave for new parents

Supportive leave of absence policies

Job summary

Fuse, based in Albuquerque, NM, seeks an entrepreneurial operations leader to run the Albuquerque site end-to-end. You will own day-to-day operations, safety, scheduling, staffing, budgets, and coordination between technical and business teams, ensuring customers can visit and contracts progress smoothly.

This role demands hands-on problem solving, fast decision making, and the ability to build scalable processes.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience building or running operations in a fast-moving startup, hardware, manufacturing, industrial, or similarly complex environment.
• Track record turning ambiguous or underbuilt operations into functional people, processes, and systems.
• Entrepreneurial operating mindset—resourceful, hands-on, decisive with incomplete information.
• Experience hiring, developing, and holding teams accountable for results.
• Strong judgment and ability to prioritize when high-stakes problems compete for attention.
• High personal accountability and operating discipline.
• Calm and decisive under pressure.
• Strong communication skills and ability to work across technical, business teams, customers, and leadership.
• Willingness to be based in Albuquerque, NM full-time.

Responsibilities

• Take responsibility for day-to-day operations and performance of the Albuquerque site.
• Build the operating cadence, processes, and team needed to scale the site.
• Coordinate shot campaign scheduling across technical and business teams and remove obstacles that put execution at risk.
• Take responsibility for site staffing, budget, vendors, contractors, maintenance, and facility needs.
• Identify problems early and drive them to resolution rather than waiting for direction.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for customers, site visits, audits, inspections, and other external stakeholders.
• Support Fuse Federal contract execution and government customer activity at the site.
• Manage risks across safety, schedule, budget, and staffing with clear recommendations and responsibility to mitigate — not just status updates.
• Build practical operating systems around maintenance, safety, shift handoffs, visitors, and site readiness that allow Albuquerque to scale without unnecessary bureaucracy.

Skills

Operations leadership

Startup/fast-moving environment

Cross-functional collaboration

Decision making under pressure

People management

Safety and compliance awareness

Communication skills

On-site leadership in Albuquerque

Job description

About Fuse

We are building one of the most potentially consequential companies of the century. Our mission is to accelerate the world's transition to fusion energy while safeguarding humankind. This is not a normal company. This is not a normal job. We are committed for the long term to win.

About the Role

Albuquerque is one of Fuse's radiation effects testing site. You'll be responsible for the site end to end: people, schedule, facility, safety, and the coordination between technical and operational teams alongside our customers. Your mission is to make sure the generators run, the site stays safe and compliant, customers love to visit our facility. This is not a traditional facility-management role. We need an entrepreneurial operator who can take responsibility for the site end to end, identify what is missing, and build what is needed to make it work.

What We Value

Obsess about the details — sloppy work costs us later, so do it right the first time. Care — pick up the trash. Do things no one asks you to do. Go the extra mile because you care. Act with urgency — every hour matters more than it feels like it does. Be responsible for the outcome, not just the task; if it is not working, it remains your problem until it is fixed. Assume good intent — disagree openly, then commit fully once a call is made.

Core Responsibilities

• Take responsibility for day-to-day operations and performance of the Albuquerque site.
• Build the operating cadence, processes, and team needed to scale the site.
• Coordinate shot campaign scheduling across technical and business teams and remove obstacles that put execution at risk.
• Take responsibility for site staffing, budget, vendors, contractors, maintenance, and facility needs.
• Identify problems early and drive them to resolution rather than waiting for direction.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for customers, site visits, audits, inspections, and other external stakeholders.
• Support Fuse Federal contract execution and government customer activity at the site.
• Manage risks across safety, schedule, budget, and staffing with clear recommendations and responsibility to mitigate — not just status updates.
• Build practical operating systems around maintenance, safety, shift handoffs, visitors, and site readiness that allow Albuquerque to scale without unnecessary bureaucracy.

Minimum Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience building or running operations in a fast-moving startup, hardware, manufacturing, industrial, or similarly complex environment.
• Demonstrated track record taking ambiguous or underbuilt operations and creating the people, processes, and systems needed to make them work.
• Entrepreneurial operating mindset — resourceful, hands‑on, comfortable making decisions with incomplete information, and willing to solve problems outside a narrowly defined role.
• Experience hiring, developing, and holding teams accountable for results.
• Strong judgment and ability to prioritize when multiple high‑stakes problems compete for attention.
• High personal accountability and operating discipline.
• Calm and decisive under pressure.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to work effectively across technical teams, business teams, customers, and executive leadership.
• Willingness to be based in Albuquerque, NM full‑time.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience building or scaling a new site, business unit, manufacturing operation, or technical operation from an early stage.
• Background in a high‑accountability environment where safety, readiness, and execution matter.
• Experience in advanced manufacturing, aerospace, defense, energy, hardware, or another technically complex industry.
• Experience supporting DoD/DOE customers or government contract execution.

Additional Requirements

This is not a remote position and will require relocation if not already local to Fuse's Albuquerque, NM facility. Position requires the ability to work extended hours and weekends when needed. Position may require some business travel to other Fuse facilities.

Security Clearance

This role may require the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• Relocation assistance for roles that require it.
• Flexible time off. Take what you need, no accrual tracking.
• 2 weeks of paid time off built into the end of each year (subject to team and business needs).
• Supportive leave of absence policies.
• Paid leave for new parents.

ITAR Requirements

To conform to U.S. Government technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Equal Opportunity

Fuse is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Fuse is governed on the basis of merit, competence, and qualifications and will not be influenced by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, ancestry, immigration status, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability, or any other legally protected status.