Director, Fuel Equipment Engineering

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