Director - Control, Instrumentation, and Diagnostics (CID) Systems

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. Key Responsibility Areas:

• Lead and mentor a multi-disciplinary organization spanning control systems, instrumentation, diagnostics acquisition, embedded software, and real time integration, including hiring, performance management, career development, and team structure.
• Establish engineering operating rhythm: planning, prioritization, technical reviews, staffing plans, and decision-making processes.
• Set technical direction and ensure consistent engineering quality across requirements, architecture, implementation, verification, and documentation.
• Own the Eos CID architecture, including functional, physical, communications, timing, and data flow boundaries across fast DAQ, supervisory control, PLC automation, safety interlocks, and diagnostics acquisition.
• Lead technology selection for real time control, SCADA, networking, timing, and data management, and ensure consistency across integration protocols and data interfaces.
• Own the technical interface to external vendors and collaborators providing controls hardware, diagnostics hardware, and instrumentation deliverables, including technical specifications, design reviews, and acceptance participation.
• Oversee development and integration of the Eos control system across major subsystems, ensuring deterministic behavior, fault handling, and operational sequencing.
• Own Safety and Interlock System philosophy, including safety class logic where required, participation in hazard analyses, and alignment to functional safety practices and standards.
• Own instrumentation architecture across the facility: sensor selection, signal types, isolation strategy, signal conditioning, grounding, shielding, and segregation practices for noisy, high power environments.
• Oversee diagnostic acquisition architecture end to end, from front end sensors and conditioning through digitizers, FPGA processing, data streaming, and archiving in support of plasma operations and feedback control.
• Partner with systems engineering to translate device requirements into CID requirements, interface definitions, and verification plans.
• Run evidence based technical gates and design reviews, with clear entry and exit criteria and configuration control.
• Own delivery artifacts such as requirements, interface control documents, design packages, test plans, and acceptance evidence to support procurement, installation, and commissioning.
• Maintain a strong safety culture including machine protection thinking, hazard analysis inputs, and design choices that support safe installation and operations.
• Provide hands on leadership in lab and field environments, coordinating with technicians and test teams for build, wiring, installation support, and debug. Ideal Experience & Skillsets:
• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Electrical Engineering, Controls, Computer Science, Physics, or equivalent.
• 10 or more years of relevant experience spanning two or more of the following: integrated control systems, industrial automation, fast data acquisition, instrumentation systems engineering, diagnostics acquisition, real time embedded software.
• 5 or more years of engineering management experience leading multi team organizations, including hiring and performance leadership.
• Demonstrated experience owning complex system development from architecture through prototype validation and integration.
• Strong foundation in safety and high reliability engineering practices, including interlocks, alarms, fail safe design, and disciplined documentation.
• Strong cross functional communication skills and experience driving technical decisions across physics, mechanical, electrical, safety, and program teams.
• Exceptional work ethic and communication skills.
• Experience delivering CID systems for fusion devices, accelerators, advanced nuclear, or other large scientific facilities with tight timing and data fidelity requirements.
• Experience with EPICS or TANGO, and industrial integration protocols such as OPC UA, DDS, Modbus, and deterministic timing networks.
• Experience with functional safety workflows and standards driven PLC systems engineering.
• Experience with FPGA based acquisition and low latency streaming pipelines for real time feedback and machine protection.
• Familiarity integrating AI and digital twin capabilities into supervisory control and operations workflows.
• Control frameworks and integration: LabView, EPICS, TANGO, OPC UA, DDS, Modbus, TCP IP.
• PLC platforms: Siemens TIA Portal, Beckhoff TwinCAT, Allen Bradley, Codesys, IEC 61131 3 practices.
• Timing and synchronization: White Rabbit, IEEE 1588 PTP.
• Data acquisition and diagnostics: PXIe digitizers, FPGA platforms, event and timestamping frameworks, data streaming infrastructure.
• Embedded and middleware software: real time embedded Linux and real time operating systems, C and C++, distributed orchestration tooling.
• Instrumentation design and documentation: AutoCAD Electrical, EPLAN, tag databases, input and output lists, cable schedules and loop diagrams. 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. #LI-CB1 Company Benefits:
• Salary range $120,000-$240,000
• Comprehensive health benefits (e.g. medical/dental/vision)
• Employee equity stock options
• 20 days PTO