Lead, Furnace 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 Lead Engineer for Furnace Equipment owns the design of our furnace systems end to end: from skid design through fabrication, factory and site acceptance testing, commissioning, and handover to fuel production operations. Reporting to the Director of Fuel Equipment Engineering, you will be the technical authority for furnace equipment and lead the engineers who build it. This role is hands-on. You will design and build high-temperature furnaces for various parts of the TRISO fuel fabrication process. Key Responsibilities Technical Leadership – Furnace Equipment • Own the equipment design basis furnaces, including retort and fuel loading and unloading operations • Lead design of furnace vessels, gas distribution, heating systems, insulation, and off-gas ventilation • Lead design of gas delivery systems including mass flow control • Partner with process engineering and I&C team to translate fuel parameters into equipment requirements and control philosophy Equipment Design, Fabrication and Commissioning • Develop P&IDs, layouts, and detailed designs for development and production coaters • Oversee factory acceptance testing and on-site commissioning activities • Lead troubleshooting and root cause investigations for equipment reliability issues • Establish maintenance, spare part, and consumable strategies for 24/7 operation Team and Vendor Leadership • Lead and mentor a team of mechanical and equipment engineers • Manage furnace equipment schedule, scope, and budget within the fuel equipment program • Select and manage suppliers and partners for key components • Collaborate closely with leadership across fuel process, I&C, quality, and operations. Basic Qualifications • 7+ years of experience designing furnaces or other high-temperature gaseous process equipment • 2+ years leading engineers as either a technical lead or a people manager • Hands-on experience taking process equipment from design to deployment • Experience with vessels, gas delivery, material selection, and off-gas treatment • Experience working safely with flammable, toxic, or corrosive process gasses • Important: Ability to travel and work onsite at Valar's pilot plant in Orangeville, Utah 20-30% of the time, sometimes for long periods of time (one or two weeks, or more) Preferred Skills and Experience • Familiarity with fissile material criticality safety requirements • Experience with Balance of Plant design for hazardous process gasses • Experience in a start-up or high growth environment 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 $170,000—$240,000 USD