How to apply for Director - Site Development

About Thea Energy

Thea Energy is reinventing the stellarator using computer-controlled arrays of planar coils, which replaces the complex modular magnets used in other stellarator designs. The company aims to commercialize fusion energy faster and more simply, with a focus on zero-emission, disruption-free power. Working here means contributing to a new approach to fusion at a company that is scaling a technology based on recent physics and engineering breakthroughs.

About the role

The Director - Site Development leads the process of finding, evaluating, and securing locations for Thea Energy's fusion systems. This includes defining site criteria, negotiating state and local incentives, navigating regulations, and building community partnerships. The role directly links technical requirements with government and community support, and it involves working with leadership, finance, operations, and technical teams.

A typical day

A typical day might involve meeting with technical teams to refine site criteria, speaking with state or local officials about incentive packages, and reviewing regulatory requirements. You could also visit potential sites or engage with community stakeholders to build support. The role requires balancing internal coordination with external negotiations and due diligence.

Who Thea Energy is looking for

• Experience leading site selection for large industrial or energy projects, including defining technical and resource-based criteria.
• Track record of negotiating state and local incentive packages, tax credits, and infrastructure agreements.
• Familiarity with regulatory frameworks for energy or industrial facilities and experience building community partnerships.
• Ability to work with company leadership, finance, operations, and technical teams, and to manage external stakeholders.

Tips for this application

• Highlight any past site selection projects where you defined criteria based on technical and resource needs, not just real estate availability.
• Quantify incentive packages you have secured, including total value, tax credits, and infrastructure commitments.
• Show experience navigating regulatory processes for energy or industrial facilities, naming specific agencies or permit types if possible.
• Describe how you have built community partnerships, including examples of local engagement or public meetings.
• Explain your approach to aligning technical requirements from engineering teams with community and government support.

What to cover in your cover letter

Emphasize your experience leading site selection for complex industrial or energy projects. Detail specific incentive packages you negotiated and the value they delivered. Describe how you have navigated regulatory frameworks and built community partnerships. Connect your work to Thea Energy's need to secure locations for fusion systems, showing you understand the technical and resource criteria involved.

Research before applying

• Study Thea Energy's stellarator design using planar coils and how it differs from other stellarator architectures.
• Understand the technical and resource requirements for siting a fusion system, such as power infrastructure, cooling, and land needs.
• Look into state and local incentive programs for energy projects in regions where Thea Energy might site operations.
• Research recent fusion energy regulatory developments and community engagement practices for new energy facilities.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• How would you define technical and resource-based site selection criteria for a fusion system?
• Describe a time you negotiated a state or local incentive package. What was the outcome and how did you achieve it?
• What regulatory frameworks have you navigated for energy or industrial projects, and how did you handle challenges?
• How do you build community partnerships when siting a new facility, especially one with new technology?
• How would you coordinate with Thea Energy's leadership, finance, operations, and technical teams during site selection?

Common mistakes to avoid

• Focusing only on real estate or general site selection without addressing technical and resource-based criteria.
• Failing to provide concrete examples of incentive packages negotiated or regulatory frameworks navigated.
• Ignoring the community partnership aspect and treating site selection as purely a transaction.