Director - Quality Assurance

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 seeking a experienced, entrepreneurial **Director of Quality Assurance**. This role is a strategic leader who possesses the startup grit to be completely hands-on on day one, with the vision to architect and scale our entire quality organization as we grow. This role requires a unique blend of high-level strategic foresight and a passionate, "roll-up-your-sleeves" execution mindset. ### Key Responsibility Areas: - **Startup Agility & Execution:** Act as the primary, hands-on quality practitioner initially drafting documentation, executing first-article inspections, and setting up the foundational quality frameworks from scratch. - **Team Scaling & Leadership:** Develop the hiring roadmap for the quality organization; recruit, mentor, and lead a high-performing team of quality engineers and inspectors as the company scales. - **Enterprise QMS Architecture:** Architect, implement, and continuously mature an agile, enterprise-wide Quality Management System (QMS) compliant with rigorous standards (e.g., ISO 9001, AS9100, NQA-1) while balancing high speed execution - **Supplier Governance:** Establish a world-class supplier quality engineering framework, auditing initial critical vendors and managing incoming and in-process validation for complex hardware components. - **Cross-Functional Integration:** Partner intimately with engineering and manufacturing teams to implement appropriate, value add, quality checks and risk-mitigation frameworks into early-stage hardware and software designs. - **Continuous Improvement:** Lead internal audits, anomaly investigations, and Root Cause Analysis (RCA) to drive an organizational culture of continuous improvement and safety. ### Ideal Experience & Skillsets: - **10–15+ years** of progressive experience in Quality Assurance/Quality Control within high-consequence, complex industries (aerospace, defense, automotive, or advanced energy). - **Proven Startup/Scaleup Experience:** Direct experience working in a fast-paced hardware startup or early-stage manufacturing environment where you successfully scaled a quality department from the ground up. - **"Player-Coach" Mentality:** A demonstrated history of being equally comfortable pitching a quality strategy to executives/investors and being on the production floor troubleshooting hardware non-conformances. - **Deep Framework Knowledge:** Strong familiarity with ISO 9001, AS9100, NQA-1, or equivalent quality frameworks. - **Safety Focus:** Strong alignment with environment, health, and safety standards (OSHA 30hr Certification or equivalent experience preferred). - **Exceptional Communication:** Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to influence cross-functional technical teams and maintain rigorous quality ethics with absolute discretion. ### Company Benefits: - Salary range $180,000-$225,000 - Comprehensive health benefits (e.g. medical/dental/vision) - Employee equity stock options - 20 days PTO ### Requirements: - 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.