Head of Nuclear Instrumentation & Electronics - Equity

Valar Atomics Inc.; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 225,000 - 300,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity ownership

Unlimited PTO

Free daily lunch and dinner onsite

Generous PPE stipend

Job summary

Valar Atomics is seeking Directors of Nuclear Instrumentation & Electronics to build and lead the organization that designs, qualifies, and manufactures nuclear instrumentation and electronics for reactor production. You will own the full product lifecycle from detector physics to field support, with a focus on achieving high reliability in harsh nuclear environments.

The role requires 12+ years in radiation detection with 5+ years in leadership, plus hands-on analog/mixed-signal design, FPGA

Qualifications

• Bachelor-level degree in a relevant field required.
• 12+ years in radiation detection or high-reliability electronics with 5+ years leading teams.
• Deep knowledge of radiation detection physics and detector design for harsh environments.
• Hands-on analog/mixed-signal electronics experience, noise management, and signal integrity.

Responsibilities

• Build and lead Nuclear Instrumentation & Electronics organization with hiring and design standards.
• Define and own the product roadmap for nuclear instrumentation and electronics, including make-versus-buy decisions.
• Own detector hardware design across neutron flux ranges for HTGR environments.
• Design radiation monitoring instrumentation including area, process, and effluent monitors.
• Develop nuclear signal processing electronics including high-voltage bias, preamplifiers, digital pulse processing, FPGA firmware.
• Lead qualification programs per IEEE 323, 344, and related standards; ensure safety and lifecycle compliance.
• Scale manufacturing operations from prototype to production with documentation and yield management.
• Establish and maintain nuclear quality program per 10 CFR 50 Appendix B and NQA-1; supplier qualification.
• Oversee licensing and material control for detector production under 10 CFR Parts 30/70; health physics coordination.
• Develop supply chain strategy for critical materials; establish second sources and manage obsolescence.
• Support NRC/DOE regulatory interactions with reports, audits, and responses.
• Provide field support for installed hardware; drive reliability data collection for design feedback.
• Manage budgets, headcount, and capital equipment for engineering and manufacturing facilities.

Skills

Nuclear instrumentation

Radiation detection

Analog/mixed-signal electronics

DFM/DFT for production

Leadership and team building

FPGA / firmware V&V

Education

Bachelor's degree in Nuclear Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, Engineering Physics

Tools

PCB design

FPGA-based DSP

Quality standards (NQA-1, IEEE 323/344)

Job description

Valar Atomics is seeking Directors of Nuclear Instrumentation & Electronics to build and lead the organization that designs, qualifies, and manufactures nuclear instrumentation and electronics for reactor production. You will own the full product lifecycle from detector physics to field support, with a focus on achieving high reliability in harsh nuclear environments.

The role requires 12+ years in radiation detection with 5+ years in leadership, plus hands-on analog/mixed-signal design, FPGA