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Executive Nuclear Engineering Jobs (NOW HIRING)

... executives. *Translate highly technical nuclear weapons information into clear, concise, and ... Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree in physics, nuclear engineering, engineering, national ...

... executives. *Translate highly technical nuclear weapons information into clear, concise, and ... Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree in physics, nuclear engineering, engineering, national ...

Professional Engineer License. Working knowledge to proficiency in project related Scheduling/ Cost ... executive management). Education Requirement: Bachelor's degree and 5 plus years related work ...

Nuclear Systems Engineer

Bethesda, MD ยท On-site

$110 - $170/hr

Run design reviews and phase gates, and surface the trade-offs that need executive decisions ... Systems engineering fundamentals: requirements, interfaces, verification & validation ...

Nuclear Systems Engineer

Bethesda, MD ยท On-site

$110K - $240K/yr

Run design reviews and phase gates, and surface the trade-offs that need executive decisions ... Systems engineering fundamentals: requirements, interfaces, verification & validation ...

Vice President of Engineering (Oak Ridge)

Oak Ridge, TN ยท On-site

$156K - $201K/yr

... executive management in its interactions with regulatory authorities, particularly the U.S. Nuclear ... A bachelor's degree in engineering, nuclear engineering, or related career field, a master's degree ...

Vice President of Engineering

Oak Ridge, TN ยท On-site

$172K - $221K/yr

... executive management in its interactions with regulatory authorities, particularly the U.S. Nuclear ... A bachelor's degree in engineering, nuclear engineering, or related career field, a master's degree ...

Showing results 21-40

Executive Nuclear Engineering information

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$26.5K

$93.6K

$184K

How much do executive nuclear engineering jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 21, 2026, the average yearly pay for executive nuclear engineering in the United States is $93,552.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $58,000.00 and $120,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is executive nuclear engineering?

Executive Nuclear Engineering refers to senior leadership roles within the nuclear engineering field, typically involving the oversight and strategic direction of nuclear projects, facilities, or organizations. Executives in nuclear engineering are responsible for ensuring safety, regulatory compliance, and innovation in the design, construction, and operation of nuclear energy systems or research programs. They often manage large teams, budgets, and stakeholder relationships, and play a key role in shaping policy and industry standards. These roles generally require advanced technical knowledge, significant experience, and strong leadership skills.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an executive nuclear engineer?

To thrive as an Executive Nuclear Engineer, you need advanced knowledge of nuclear engineering principles, regulatory compliance, and leadership experience, typically supported by a relevant engineering degree and professional licensure (such as PE). Familiarity with nuclear simulation software, safety analysis tools, and quality management systems is crucial, along with certifications like PMP or NEI qualifications. Exceptional strategic thinking, decision-making, and communication skills set leaders apart in this role. These capabilities ensure safe, efficient, and compliant operation of nuclear facilities while effectively guiding multidisciplinary teams.

What are some common challenges faced by executive nuclear engineers in leading multidisciplinary teams?

Executive Nuclear Engineers often oversee teams that include experts from various engineering disciplines, regulatory specialists, and operations staff. A common challenge is ensuring effective communication and alignment among these groups, especially when managing complex projects with strict safety and regulatory standards. Balancing technical decision-making with organizational objectives and stakeholder expectations is essential. Successfully navigating these challenges requires strong leadership, a deep understanding of nuclear regulations, and the ability to foster collaboration across diverse teams.

What is the difference between Executive Nuclear Engineering vs Nuclear Engineering?

AspectExecutive Nuclear EngineeringNuclear Engineering
CredentialsTypically requires advanced degrees and leadership certificationsRequires a bachelor's or master's in nuclear engineering or related fields
Work EnvironmentLeadership roles in corporate or project management settingsDesign, research, and technical development in labs or plants
Employer & Industry UsageUsed in corporate strategy, project oversight, and executive decision-makingUsed in technical design, safety analysis, and research within nuclear facilities

Executive Nuclear Engineering focuses on leadership, strategic planning, and management within the nuclear industry, often requiring advanced degrees and certifications. Nuclear Engineering involves technical design, safety, and research tasks. While both roles are integral to the industry, Executive Nuclear Engineering emphasizes oversight and decision-making, whereas Nuclear Engineering centers on technical expertise and development.

What cities are hiring for Executive Nuclear Engineering jobs?

Cities with the most Executive Nuclear Engineering job openings:

What are the most commonly searched types of Nuclear Engineering jobs?

The most popular types of Nuclear Engineering jobs are:

What states have the most Executive Nuclear Engineering jobs?

States with the most job openings for Executive Nuclear Engineering jobs include:

What job categories do people searching Executive Nuclear Engineering jobs look for?

The top searched job categories for Executive Nuclear Engineering jobs are:

Infographic showing various Executive Nuclear Engineering job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 92% Full Time, 4% Part Time, 3% Contract, and 1% Nights. Highlights an 85% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 10% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $93,552 per year, or $45 per hour.

Director - Mechanical Engineering

Thea Energy

Kearny, NJ โ€ข On-site

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, PTO

Re-posted 27 days ago


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 looking for an experienced, highly motivated Director - Mechanical Engineering to join its rapidly growing team. You will have ownership of the mechanical design and development of primary and secondary components and subsystems in the development of Thea Energy's integrated stellarator fusion systems. You will be responsible for structural and thermomechanical design, manufacturability, development, and commissioning of these components.
You will drive requirements definition, design trades, and integration across disciplines. You will build and lead an integrated team drawing from disciplines including mechanical design, structural and stress analysis, thermal/fluids analysis, materials engineering, manufacturing and fabrication engineering, nuclear engineering, and vacuum systems engineering.
The Thea Energy team is comprised of driven, creative, and fun individuals passionate about solving complex problems.
Key Responsibility Areas:
  • Own the technical baseline for primary and secondary mechanical fusion systems, including requirements, design, development, analysis, verification, though manufacturing, commissioning, and operation.
  • Drive system-level trades across relevant performance domains (e.g. thermal, structural, electromagnetic, nuclear, vacuum, cryogenic).
  • Maintain accountability for the key performance metrics that define system success.
  • Define and enforce interface controls.
  • Work with core system-level development teams to define requirements.
  • Lead system design and development, addressing the complex 3D non-axisymmetric geometry unique to stellarators.
  • Drive disciplined design trades balancing performance, manufacturability, and schedule.
  • Own the analysis campaigns required to demonstrate system feasibility and adequate margin under all operating conditions (normal operation, off-normal events, transients).
  • Partner with manufacturing and fabrication engineering to ensure all components can be built, inspected, and assembled within realistic tolerances.
  • Address stellarator-specific fabrication challenges driven by non-axisymmetric geometry and tight tolerance requirements.
  • Own the assembly sequence and integration plan for systems within the overall machine build.
  • Serve as the system-level integrator for system interfaces.
  • Work with Systems Engineering & Configuration Management to define and maintain interface control documents, requirements flow down, and configuration baselines.
  • Coordinate across engineering tools to establish CAD/CAE/PLM workflows and simulation infrastructure.
  • Make scope and schedule trade-offs, escalating risks and decision points with clear technical rationale.
  • Build, lead, and develop the integrated engineering team, spanning multiple disciplines.
  • Define work packages, priorities, and deliverables across the team.
  • Maintain technical risk registers and drive mitigation plans to closure.
  • Build and maintain a technically rigorous team culture, setting expectations for analysis quality, design rigor, and documentation standards.

Ideal Experience & Skillsets:
  • 15+ years of experience in mechanical engineering, nuclear engineering, or a closely related field, with significant time spent on large-scale, high-performance hardware systems.
  • Deep technical knowledge of at least two of the following: structural analysis, thermal-hydraulic analysis, vacuum system design, cryogenic engineering, nuclear engineering, high-heat-flux component design, manufacturing engineering.
  • Demonstrated experience managing complex, multi-disciplinary hardware development programs from concept through fabrication and test.
  • Strong understanding of materials behavior and manufacturing processes for demanding mechanical systems.
  • Proficiency with engineering tools: CAD (NX preferred), FEA (ANSYS preferred), and PLM systems.
  • Bias toward ownership: you take accountability for outcomes, not just activities.
  • Ability to make system-level decisions under uncertainty and defend them with engineering rationale.
  • Effective at leading integrated, multi-disciplinary teams through clarity of scope and technical credibility.
  • Comfort with ambiguity and pace of a startup building first-of-a-kind hardware.
  • Strong written and verbal communication: you can present system status, risks, and trades to executives and to the engineering team with equal effectiveness.
  • Track record of building and leading high-performing technical teams.
  • Exceptional work ethic and a bias toward action.
  • Innate desire to learn, innovate, and challenge assumptions, including your own.
  • At least a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, physics, or related fields.

#LI-RD1
Company Benefits:
  • Salary range $135,000-$235,000
  • 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.
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.

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About Thea Energy

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Industry

Clean energy semiconductors manufacturing

Company size

11 - 50 Employees

Headquarters location

Princeton, NJ, US

Year founded

2022