Senior Engineering Program Manager

Thea Energy, Inc.; Kearny (NJ); On-site; USD 130,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive health benefits

Employee equity stock options

20 days PTO

Job summary

A leading fusion energy company in New Jersey is looking for an Engineering Program Manager to oversee the development of innovative hardware technology. This role requires over 5 years of experience in multidisciplinary engineering, strong communication skills, and the ability to manage complex projects in rapidly changing environments. The position offers a competitive salary range of $130,000 to $180,000 alongside comprehensive health benefits and employee equity stock options.

Qualifications

• 5+ years leading complex engineering programs in climate tech, aerospace, or nuclear sectors.
• Ability to collaborate with technical teams to solve novel issues.
• Experience in fast-paced startup environments with ambiguity.

Responsibilities

• Define and drive program planning across hardware design and manufacturing.
• Manage risks and develop mitigation strategies.
• Provide regular updates on technical challenges and progress.

Skills

Leadership in multidisciplinary engineering programs

Complex hardware development

DFM principles understanding

Excellent communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or a related field

Job description

Position Overview

Thea Energy is seeking an experienced and motivated Engineering Program Manager to lead a large, complex custom product development program within the fusion energy industry. This is a highly visible role in the organization leading development of core magnet technology. This role will act as a force multiplier by increasing development velocity and raising the bar on execution standards. You will oversee the design, build, and test phases of critical hardware, ensuring the successful delivery of components that will advance fusion technology.

Key Responsibility Areas

• Define and drive program planning and execution across hardware design, test, supply chain, and manufacturing teams, with a clear plan of record and critical-path ownership
• Drive the design, build, and test cycles for complex hardware components.
• Partner with technical leads to define product requirements, validation strategies, and decision gates, ensuring design tradeoffs are explicitly documented and understood across teams
• Own engineering BOM strategy and NPI readiness, working closely with engineers and supply chain to balance performance, cost, availability, and manufacturability
• Provide regular, detailed program updates to leadership and stakeholders, highlighting progress, technical challenges, and proposed solutions.
• Proactively identify and manage technical, schedule, budget, and quality risks. develop effective mitigation strategies and contingency plans.

Ideal Experience & Skillsets

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or a related technical field.
• 5+ years leading complex, multidisciplinary engineering programs ideally involving large scale hardware development in climate tech, aerospace, nuclear, or related industries.
• Demonstrated ability to work deeply with technical teams (physics, mechanical engineering, magnet engineering, manufacturing engineering) and solve first of a kind problems.
• Strong grasp of DFM principles and the realities of design, build, test cycles.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to influence across engineering, operations, and leadership teams
• Proven ability to distill complex technical programs into clear risks, decisions, and priorities for leadership audiences
• Comfortable operating in a fast-moving startup environment, with high ownership and ambiguity.
• Nice to have: product and technology roadmap development experience.

Company Benefits

• Salary range $130,000-$180,000
• 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.