Program Manager

About AdAstra

AdAstra Talent Acquisition is a boutique firm which partners with elite NewSpace and Clean Tech startups to headhunt for their most critical technical roles. This role is with a confidential client company based in Kearny, NJ.

About the Company:

Our client is leveraging recent breakthroughs in stellarator physics and engineering to create a faster and simpler approach to commercializing fusion energy! They are reinventing the stellarator and are on a mission to create a limitless source of zero emission energy for a sustainable future. The team is comprised of driven, creative, and fun individuals who are passionate about solving complex problems!

This role is based in Kearny, NJ. More company details will be shared during an initial call.

About the Role

Our client is seeking an experienced, organized, and motivated Program Manager. As Program Manager, you will be responsible for managing the execution of a complex deployment of various fusion systems integrated across design, prototyping, procurement, construction, and operational phases.

In this role, you will help organize and execute across the lifecycle of new technology deployment of one of the most consequential and cutting-edge technologies of their generation - fusion energy. As Program Manager, you will establish critical management protocols and procedures to manage risk and deploy our client’s technology in the most efficient way possible.

This is a challenging position that requires a high degree of autonomy, and the ideal candidate must be able to move quickly. A proven track record of leading program management, excellent communication skills, and a passion for new technologies and innovation is required!

Responsibilities

• Develop plans and procedures to deploy an integrated first of a kind system on time and on budget
• Coordinate the overall program schedule and budget with leadership, engineering and physics teams, and vendors, to execute against program
• Identify critical path risks and decisions, and enact them into program management
• Manage the creation of programmatic baselines (e.g. WBS, schedule, cost)
• Establish and lead risk management and register including assessment, mitigation, and best practice strategies
• Work closely engineering and physics teams to implement various management and documentation protocols capable of tracking risks, decisions, cost, and schedule across development stages
• Develop performance metrics to track program effectiveness and establish a regular reporting structure to communicate progress to staff, leadership, and the Board
• Work with various teams to establish scope and associated staffing requirements to accomplish projects
• Establish project controls and planning functions, including the process for establishing schedule baselines and managing changes
• Coordinating activities to establish cost estimates for plant design, construction, installation, and startup

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant engineering field
• 5+ years of experience in program management
• Proven track record in meeting milestones on time and on budget
• Experience deploying large and complex first-of-a-kind systems (e.g. fusion, aerospace)
• Familiarity with cryogenic, heating, fluid, vacuum, power electronics, and control systems
• Knowledge of project execution risks and how to manage them effectively, including financial implications
• Strong communication, collaboration, and interpersonal skills
• Ability to innovate, execute, and flourish in a fast-paced environment
• Experience with schedule development for large projects, including managing variances, strategic planning, and contingencies
• Exceptional work ethic
• Prioritization of safety above all else
• Ability to wear many different hats
• Team player who is excited to help others
• Ability to occasionally lift objects up to 50 lbs

Preferred Experience

• Prior early-stage startup experience
• Experience with magnetic confinement fusion, aerospace, or other highly technical industries

Logistical Requirements

• This position requires consistent on-site work in Kearny, NJ (NYC metro). This is not a remote position.

Benefit Highlights

• Exciting team of professionals at the top of their field to work by your side!
• Competitive salaries and employee equity stock options
• Comprehensive health benefits (e.g. medical/dental/vision)
• Continual professional development opportunities
• Open vacation policies
• Paid holidays and sick time
• Paid parental leave
• Financial wellness (e.g. 401k / life and disability insurance)

Diversity and Inclusion

Our client is committed to creating a company of diverse backgrounds and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. By creating a diverse environment, they 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 any other characteristic protected by law and regulation.

Company Description

This position is a direct hire, permanent placement for a client of AdAstra.

AdAstra's mission is building thriving teams within elite NewSpace and Clean Tech organizations.

Our commitment is to curate and close premier talent for our partners, achieved via specialized technical screening, personalized culture assessment, and high-touch candidate engagement. We are motivated to foster boundless team satisfaction and catalyze innovation for future generations, enabling inconceivable technology from Earth, to the stars.

Connect with us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/adastrata

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