Director, Fuel Equipment Engineering, Valarin (Fuel Plant)

About Valar Atomics At Valar Atomics, we're redefining what's possible in energy. Our mission is to make clean, high-temperature nuclear power scalable—unlocking abundant energy for industry, hydrogen, and next-generation manufacturing. We are a team of builders, engineers, and operators who believe nuclear energy should be fast to deploy, factory-made, and built for the real world. Our first pilot plant in Orangeville, Utah will demonstrate how advanced nuclear systems and fuel fabrication can power the future. Joining Valar Atomics means becoming part of a company where autonomy, ownership, and impact exist at every level. The Team As part of the Engineering organization, Mechanical Engineering designs and develops the mechanical systems, components, and equipment that power Valar's advanced nuclear technologies. The team ensures designs are robust, manufacturable, and optimized for long-term performance. The Role Our TRISO fuel fabrication line turns U3O8 powder into finished TRISO compacts through three core process families: sol-gel kernel production, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) coating, and high-temperature furnace processing. Each runs on purpose-built process skids that our team designs, procures, builds, and commissions. The Director of Fuel Equipment Engineering owns the design of that equipment end to end: from early skid design through to fabrication, factory and site acceptance testing, commissioning, and handover to fuel production operations. This role is a hands-on technical authority who understands chemical process equipment, fluidized-bed reactors, and high-temperature furnace systems at a deep level. It is also a team leader who builds and develops the equipment engineering organization as the fuel program scales. Key Responsibilities Technical Leadership — Fuel Process Equipment • Own the equipment design basis for the full TRISO fabrication flow, from U3O8 receipt through finished coated particle • Oversee technical leads for each equipment family and guide the design and commissioning of that equipment • Define skid architecture standards: modularity, materials of construction, containment and confinement, maintainability, and remote or glovebox operation where required • Partner with process engineering to translate process recipes and critical parameters into equipment requirements that deliver repeatable kernel and coating quality • Ensure equipment designs meet nuclear criticality safety, radiological protection, chemical hazard, and fire protection requirements Equipment Design, Fabrication & Commissioning • Lead equipment scope for development rigs, pilot lines, and production lines, from P&IDs and layouts through detailed mechanical design • Own fabrication oversight, factory acceptance testing (FAT), site acceptance testing (SAT), and equipment commissioning • Drive scale-up from laboratory and pilot equipment to production throughput while preserving product specifications • Establish equipment reliability, maintenance, and spare parts strategies that support high-uptime production • Integrate with controls, instrumentation, and facility engineering on utilities, ventilation, off-gas, and process control interfaces Program & Team Leadership • Build, lead, and mentor the fuel equipment engineering team across mechanical, process equipment, thermal, and design disciplines • Define team structure, staffing plans, and competency roadmap as the program scales from development through production • Manage equipment engineering scope, schedule, and budget within the broader fuel program • Select and manage skid fabricators, furnace and reactor vendors, and component suppliers; define design, quality, inspection, and acceptance requirements • Collaborate closely with fuel process engineering, quality, nuclear safety, licensing, facility engineering, and operations to keep equipment, process, and facility designs coherent Basic Qualifications • 10+ years of engineering experience designing process equipment for chemical, materials, or high temperature manufacturing systems • 5+ years of experience managing engineering teams • Demonstrated hands-on experience with equipment similar to TRISO production equipment • Experience leading equipment lifecycle from design through to commissioning • Strong foundation in process equipment design principles, including pressure vessels, piping, gas delivery, heat transfer, materials selection, and effluent treatment • Experience scaling processes from pilot to production • Experience managing vendor relationships across multiple project phases • Important: Ability to travel and work onsite at Valar's pilot plant in Orangeville, Utah 20-30% of the time, for large periods of time (one to two weeks, or more). Preferred Skills and Experience • Experience managing engineering teams in a start-up or high growth environment • Direct experience with TRISO or other coated-particle fabrication • Direct experience with Uranium conversion • Experience with fluidized-bed CVD, and precursors such as methyltrichlorosilane • Familiarity handling hazardous material, including gloveboxes, confinement, and nuclear criticality safety What We Offer • Competitive base salary • Equity ownership in a rapidly growing advanced energy company • Comprehensive medical benefits • Unlimited PTO • Free daily lunch and dinner provided onsite • Generous PPE stipend • High-impact startup environment with significant ownership and autonomy • Opportunities for rapid career growth and internal advancement • Direct collaboration with experienced operators, engineers, and industry leaders • The opportunity to help build and scale transformative energy technology from the ground up Equal Employment Opportunity Statement Valar Atomics is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable law. We are committed to providing a workplace free of discrimination and harassment and will provide reasonable accommodation as required by law. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States as a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident (green card holder). Salary $200,000—$325,000 USD