Program Controls Lead at Thea Energy (Kearny, NJ)Program Controls Lead

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 seeking an experienced and motivated Program Controls Lead to own the integrated master schedule for our fusion development program. This is a highly visible, individual contributor role within the Program Management team. You will turn uncertain, evolving plans across engineering, procurement, manufacturing, and integration into a schedule that leadership trusts, and you will flag early when plan and reality diverge. This role acts as a force multiplier by giving the organization a clear view of the critical path, risks, and trade-offs.

Key Responsibility Areas:

- Build, maintain, and own the integrated master schedule across engineering, procurement, manufacturing, installation, and commissioning workstreams.

- Develop schedule logic, milestones, and interdependencies with technical leads, and challenge durations and assumptions constructively.

- Identify and communicate the critical path, near-critical paths, and key schedule drivers.

- Run schedule risk analyses and turn the results into mitigation options and decision-ready recommendations.

- Track progress, forecast completion, and report variances and trends to leadership and stakeholders on a regular cadence.

- Manage baselines and schedule change control, and integrate vendor and long-lead procurement schedules into the IMS.

- Partner with Program Managers and integrate cost control and risk management to keep schedule, budget, and risk data consistent across the program.

Ideal Experience & Skillsets:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, or a related technical field.

- 5+ years leading building and owning integrated master schedules (IMS) for large, complex hardware or capital programs in fusion, nuclear, aerospace, defense, or large-scale construction.

- Expert-level proficiency in Smartsheet, Primavera P6, or Microsoft Project, including resource-loaded, logic-driven schedules, critical path analysis, and baseline and variance management.

- Demonstrated experience with schedule risk analysis (e.g., Monte Carlo) and turning results into mitigation options and clear recommendations.

- Ability to work deeply with technical teams (physics, magnet engineering, mechanical engineering, manufacturing, supply chain) to build credible logic and challenge durations and assumptions constructively.

- Experience scheduling first-of-a-kind or R&D-heavy work with uncertain durations, iterative design, and long-lead custom hardware, without forcing false precision.

- Working knowledge of program controls practices, including earned value management (EVM), cost and schedule integration, and change control.

- Excellent communication skills and the ability to distill complex schedules into clear drivers, risks, and decisions for leadership audiences.

- Comfortable operating in a fast-moving startup environment, with high ownership and ambiguity.

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.