Director of Mechanical Engineering: Nuclear Reactor Systems

Valar Atomics; New Mexico; On-site; USD 240,000 - 325,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive base salary

Equity ownership in a rapidly growing…

Comprehensive medical benefits

Unlimited PTO

Free daily lunch and dinner provided

Generous PPE stipend

High-impact startup environment with →

Opportunities for rapid career growth

Direct collaboration with experienced…

The opportunity to help build and …

Job summary

Valar Atomics seeks a Director, Mechanical for the reactor program. You will build and lead the mechanical engineering organization, including engineering managers and responsible engineers, overseeing the reactor, control rods, helium boundary, helium services, HVAC and Citadel.

The role requires hands-on technical authority and a hardware-first mindset, maintaining design integrity while driving production readiness and scale.

Qualifications

• Basic qualifications include 10+ years of mechanical engineering on complex hardware such as pressure systems, heat transfer equipment, mechanisms or large structures.
• Hands-on experience as the technical authority who signs off designs, sets margins and owns design decisions.
• Led mechanical scope on first-of-a-kind hardware from concept through build, test and commissioning.
• Strong base in stress analysis, thermal design, materials and pressure vessel and piping codes.
• Experience managing mechanical engineering teams, including managers, and key vendor relationships across multiple project phases.

Responsibilities

• Own the mechanical design basis for the reactor, the primary helium loop, cavity cooling, helium services, plant modules, etc.
• Make the final technical call on design acceptability, margins, materials and code selection.
• Run design reviews and gate decisions from concept through design freeze.
• Take designs to hardware through procurement specifications, factory build, assembly and integrated testing.
• Set test and verification strategy with the V&V lead, and support commissioning through to first operation.
• Design for manufacture and repeatability, so each unit builds faster than the last.
• Build, lead and mentor the mechanical organization of engineering managers and system REs.
• Manage scope, schedule and budget for mechanical within the reactor program
• Lead mechanical team structure and staffing as the program scales
• Work closely with systems engineering, safety, IC&E, quality and supply chain so the plant design stays integrated.

Job description

Valar Atomics seeks a Director, Mechanical for the reactor program. You will build and lead the mechanical engineering organization, including engineering managers and responsible engineers, overseeing the reactor, control rods, helium boundary, helium services, HVAC and Citadel.

The role requires hands-on technical authority and a hardware-first mindset, maintaining design integrity while driving production readiness and scale.