Communications Associate

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 a rapidly growing company seeking a Communications Associate to support our communications and marketing team. As the company scales, this role will provide the coordination, content support, and operational capacity the team needs to work efficiently. The role has two key focus areas. The first is telling the stories of the people who work here, building the surfaces where candidates and colleagues learn who we are, and helping a fast-growing team stay informed and connected as it scales – all with a heavy but not exclusive focus on internal communications. The second is communications operations: the project management, systems, vendor coordination, and logistics that keep a lean team moving quickly. This is a broad, hands-on role. The ideal candidate has spent a few years in an agency or communications coordinator seat, is exceptionally organized, is fluent in generating and editing content with Adobe Creative Cloud and leveraging AI tools, and would rather build a system than repeat a task. You will work closely with People, Talent, Facilities, and Engineering leaders across the company, and you will be trusted with information before it is public. The Communications Associate reports to Thea Energy’s Manager - Communications. ### Key Responsibility Areas: ### **People communications** - Draft and edit internal communications – announcements, notes, FAQs, and updates – for review and approval - Partner with the People Team to review and publish employee spotlights and profiles for internal channels, LinkedIn, and the company website - Partner with the People Team to maintain a pipeline of employee content and keep it publishing on an agreed-upon cadence - Support content development for the company careers page, including team stories, imagery, and culture content, and keep it current - Coordinate content for the company intranet: maintain the calendar, support contributors outside the communications team, and keep content accurate and up to date - Support internal events, including all-hands meetings, town halls, and leadership updates: run of show, slide assembly, logistics, live support, and follow-up notes - Assist in developing and piloting new internal communications formats – newsletters, recognition moments, and milestone celebrations – that help a growing team stay informed and connected - Assist with employee onboarding and other People processes ### **Communications operations and systems** - Maintain the team’s communications operating systems: a set of internal tools and markdown-based documentation that codify messaging, brand, and review standards. Keep it current, extend it as directed, and support adoption across the team - Provide project management support for the communications team, including editorial and announcement calendars, trackers, review cycles, and deadline management across concurrent workstreams - Help maintain the company photography and film library, including tagging, rights clearance, organization, and accessibility for internal users - Taking first drafts of press releases, social media, pitches, and marketing materials when appropriate ### **Logistics and vendor coordination** - Manage swag, print, and collateral: vendor quotes, ordering, inventory, reprints as the brand evolves, and new hire kits - Coordinate conference and event logistics, including registrations, booth and shipping details, speaker and travel coordination, materials, and on-site support - Process purchase orders and invoices, track spend against budget, and maintain vendor records for the communications function ### Ideal Experience & Skillsets: • Previous experience in a role requiring strong organization and content skills, such as an agency account coordinator, communications or marketing coordinator, executive assistant, or internal communications • Strong content generation, writing, and editing skills • Demonstrated fluency with AI tools such as Claude or ChatGPT, and the ability to apply them to drafting, research, and process improvement. Comfort working in markdown documents and shared digital workspaces is required • Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage many concurrent commitments without loss of accuracy • Proficiency with Google Workspace, Slack, and a project management tool such as Asana • Sound judgment and discretion in handling confidential company information prior to public release • Ability to take direction, ask good questions, and execute independently once direction is set • Ability to work on-site in Kearny, NJ • Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience **Preferred qualifications** • Prior experience at a deep tech, energy, hardware, aerospace, or scientific organization, or at an early-stage startup • Comfort working on complex topics and with technical teams • Experience in internal communications, employer branding, or recruitment marketing • Ability to build simple tools, automations, or AI agents; coding experience is a plus but is not required • Basic design, photo, or video editing skills (Figma, Canva, or Adobe Creative Cloud) • Experience with a content management system or intranet platform (Webflow, Notion, Confluence, SharePoint) • Event or conference coordination experience ### Company Benefits: - Salary range $60,000-$75,000 - Comprehensive health benefits (e.g. medical/dental/vision) - Employee equity stock options - 20 days PTO