Senior Technical Program Manager

Thea Energy

Kearny, NJ, USA

Posted on: 2026-04-09

Category: energy

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Employment type:

Full time

Experience required:

Senior

Salary

Salary not provided

About the company:

Thea Energy is building an economical and scalable fusion energy system utilizing arrays of mass manufacturable magnets and dynamic software controls. Commercial fusion energy can uniquely provide a abundant source of zero-emission power for a sustainable future. Thea Energy is leveraging recent breakthroughs in computation and controls to reinvent the stellarator, a scientifically mature form of magnetic fusion technology. Thea Energy was founded in 2022 as a spin-out of the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory and Princeton University, where the stellarator was originally invented. Thea Energy is currently designing its first integrated fusion system, Eos, based on its planar coil stellarator architecture which will produce fusion neutrons at scale and in steady-state.

Position Overview:

Thea Energy is seeking an experienced and motivated Technical 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 manufacturing 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 scaling of magnet production from concept to pilot and commercial scale ramps that will advance fusion technology.

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.

Key Responsibility Areas:

Lead cross-functional manufacturing and operations programs from concept through pilot production, including process and equipment design, installation, qualification, and ramp.

Oversee the selection, qualification, and management of external custom manufacturing vendors, ensuring adherence to specifications, quality standards, and delivery schedules, with a focus on novel materials and supply chain risk.

Guide the transition from prototype to large-scale manufacturing, including the integration of large equipment and continuous process manufacturing techniques.

Provide regular, detailed program updates to leadership and stakeholders, highlighting progress, technical challenges, and proposed solutions.

Establish and track key manufacturing readiness metrics (equipment readiness, process capability, throughput, yield, and reliability).

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 experience of working in a manufacturing ramp setting and delivering concept and pilot scale manufacturing development milestones

Demonstrated ability to work deeply with technical teams (physics, mechanical engineering, magnet engineering, manufacturing engineering) and solve first of a kind problems.

Strong understanding of design and manufacturing processes 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: manufacturing roadmap development experience.