Vice President Engineering Jobs in Ridgefield, NJ

Vice President - HTS Magnet Engineering
Kearny, NJ
Technology – Magnet Engineering /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.

Thea Energy is seeking a Vice President - HTS Magnet Engineering to lead the organization responsible for one of the most critical technology pillars of the company’s planar coil stellarator: high temperature superconducting ("HTS") magnets. As a senior member of the technology leadership team, the VP will set the long-term technical strategy and organizational structure for magnet engineering, own the function’s budget and roadmap, and ensure magnet development scales in lockstep with Thea Energy’s path to commercial fusion. This is a high-visibility executive role requiring both deep technical credibility and proven leadership of large, fast-growing engineering organizations.

• Define and own the long-term technical strategy and vision for HTS magnet engineering across the company’s fusion program
• Build, lead, and scale the magnet engineering organization, including hiring and developing Directors, Managers, Engineers, and Analysts
• Own the magnet engineering budget, headcount plan, and capital investment strategy, including test and manufacturing infrastructure
• Set organizational goals and milestones for magnet design, build, and test in alignment with overall company strategy and fundraising milestones
• Provide executive-level technical judgment on magnet specifications, design trade-offs, and risk management
• Own strategic vendor, supplier, and manufacturing partnerships critical to magnet hardware delivery at scale
• Partner with the CTO, CEO, and other executive leaders to align magnet engineering with overall stellarator system design, program schedule, and commercialization strategy
• Represent Thea Energy’s magnet engineering capability externally to investors, partners, government stakeholders, and the broader fusion and superconducting magnet community
• Establish organizational processes, culture, and standards that enable the magnet engineering function to scale from first-of-a-kind builds to production
• Own risk identification and mitigation planning for the magnet program at the portfolio level

• 15+ years of engineering experience with magnets, cryogenics, vacuum systems, or transformer design, including substantial experience as a senior engineering executive
• Proven track record building and leading large, fast-growing engineering organizations, ideally in a hardware-intensive startup or advanced technology environment
• Deep technical credibility in HTS magnets, electromagnetics, or related disciplines, with the judgment to guide major design and program decisions
• Experience owning multi-million dollar engineering budgets, capital planning, and organizational design
• Strong track record of strategic supplier and partner relationship management for complex, custom hardware programs
• Exceptional executive communication and stakeholder management skills, including experience with investors, boards, or government partners
• Demonstrated ability to operate at both strategic and technical depth in a fast-paced, rapidly changing environment
• Track record of successfully scaling engineering teams and processes from early-stage to production-ready
• Innate desire to learn, innovate, and critique ideas — including one’s own and the organization’s
• At least a bachelor’s degree in physics, computer science, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, materials engineering, or a related field; advanced degree strongly preferred
• Experience with magnetic confinement fusion, aerospace, medical devices, or other highly technical, regulated industries is ideal

• Salary range $240,000-$300,000
• Comprehensive health benefits (e.g. medical/dental/vision)
• Employee equity stock options
• 20 days PTO

• 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

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.