Senior Electrical Designer

Frontdoor Defense; Torrance (CA); On-site; USD 144,000 - 176,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive base salary

Equity ownership

Medical benefits

Unlimited PTO

Free daily meals onsite

PPE stipend

Autonomy and growth opportunities

Job summary

Valar Atomics in Torrance, CA seeks a Senior Electrical Designer to lead end-to-end electrical design across Reactor, Nuclear Fuel, Power Conversion, and Power Distribution scopes. You will own drawing packages, perform checks, and mentor junior designers and drafting contractors to ensure high-quality, compliant deliverables.

Responsibilities include developing schematics, wiring diagrams, and panel layouts; coordinating with I&C engineers; applying NEC/IEC standards; and supporting

Qualifications

• Associate degree or technical diploma in electrical design, drafting, or engineering technology; engineering degree is a plus.
• 5+ years of electrical or I&C design experience in power generation or industrial facilities.
• Proficiency with EPLAN and AVEVA Electrical; willingness to work with both; complete drawing packages.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain electrical design deliverables: single-line, three-line diagrams, schematics, wiring diagrams, panel schedules, load lists.
• Design power distribution layouts: switchgear, MCCs, panels, transformers, UPS, lighting, with load checks.
• Perform cable and raceway design: schedules, sizing, routing, derating, segregation per standards.
• Produce control panel and enclosure drawings with wiring diagrams and BOM.
• Develop grounding, bonding, and lightning protection layouts.
• Prepare hazardous area classification drawings per NEC/IEC.
• Coordinate with I&C hardware engineers and other disciplines to resolve routing conflicts.
• Support construction and commissioning with clarifications and RFI responses.

Skills

Electrical design proficiency

NEC NFPA 70 knowledge

P&ID interpretation

Mentoring junior designers

Education

Associate degree or technical diploma in electrical design

Bachelor’s degree in engineering (preferred)

Tools

EPLAN Electric P8

AVEVA Electrical

AutoCAD Electrical

Job description

Senior Electrical Designer

Build the end-to-end electrical design package for a nuclear plant scope

Location: Torrance, California

Compensation: $144,000 - 176,000 USD / year

About The Role

Senior Electrical Designer

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.

You will be joining Valar Atomics' Instrumentation, Control & Electrical (IC&E) organization, supporting design work across the Reactor, Nuclear Fuel, Power Conversion, and Power Distribution areas. Electrical Designers own the drawing packages that define the physical electrical and instrumentation installation one-lines, schematics, wiring and loop diagrams, cable and raceway layouts, panel arrangements, and installation details. You will work alongside electrical, I&C hardware, I&C software, process, mechanical, and nuclear safety engineers in a hands‑on environment where drawing quality and installation integrity directly support plant reliability and nuclear safety. The team values technical depth, disciplined documentation, and a safety‑first culture.

Valar Atomics is seeking Senior Electrical Designers to develop electrical and instrumentation design deliverables across the full plant scope: Reactor, Nuclear Fuel, Power Conversion, and Power Distribution. The role covers power distribution and control system drawings, cable and raceway design, control panel layouts, grounding and lightning protection layouts, hazardous area drawings, and instrument installation details supporting programs from early design and licensing through construction, commissioning, and ongoing operations. This is a senior position: you will own drawing packages end-to-end, from development through checking, issue, and as‑built incorporation, and provide checking and technical direction to junior designers and drafting contractors.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain electrical design deliverables including single-line and three-line diagrams, schematics, wiring and interconnection diagrams, panel schedules, load lists, and motor elementary diagrams across Reactor, Nuclear Fuel, Power Conversion, and Power Distribution scopes.
• Design power distribution layouts covering switchgear, MCCs, panelboards, transformers, UPS and DC systems, receptacle and lighting circuits, and equipment power feeds; incorporate load, voltage drop, and short-circuit data provided by electrical engineers.
• Perform cable and raceway design including cable schedules, cable sizing and voltage drop checks, tray and conduit routing, fill and derating calculations, and signal/power segregation per project standards, including segregation and separation requirements for safety‑related and non‑safety circuits.
• Produce control panel and enclosure design drawings including internal layout, wiring diagrams, terminal and marshalling arrangements, nameplate schedules, and bills of material consistent with UL 508A practice.
• Develop grounding, bonding, and lightning protection layouts including grounding grids, equipment bonding details, instrument and shield grounding, and equipotential plane details.
• Prepare hazardous area classification drawings and ensure equipment layout and wiring methods in classified areas comply with NEC Article 500/505 or IEC 60079.
• Develop instrumentation installation deliverables including hook‑up drawings, instrument location plans, loop diagram drafting, junction box layouts, and cable block diagrams in coordination with I&C hardware engineers.
• Apply and enforce CAD standards, drawing templates, title blocks, symbol libraries, layer conventions, and file organization on assigned scope, including contractor‑produced drawings, and contribute improvements to the discipline's standards.
• Generate bills of material and material take‑offs for cable, raceway, panels, and installation hardware; support requisitions and procurement technical evaluations.
• Perform field walkdowns to verify routing, constructability, and existing conditions; capture redlines and produce as‑built drawings and turnover documentation.
• Review and redline vendor drawing packages, contractor shop drawings, and installation deliverables for compliance with project standards and nuclear quality requirements.
• Coordinate drawing content with piping, structural, mechanical, and HVAC designers to resolve routing conflicts, clearances, and access requirements, including work within 2D and 3D plant models.
• Support construction and commissioning teams with drawing clarifications, RFI responses, field change documentation, and punch list resolution.
• Maintain drawing revision control and document management practices consistent with nuclear quality requirements, ensuring traceability from design change through as‑built incorporation.
• Provide checking, mentoring, and technical direction to junior designers and drafting contractors on electrical and I&C design scope.

Basic Qualifications

• Associate degree or technical diploma in electrical design, drafting, or engineering technology, or equivalent practical experience; Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline is a plus.
• 5+ years of electrical or I&C design experience in power generation, process industries, or industrial facilities.
• Proficiency with EPLAN (Electric P8 or equivalent) and/or AVEVA Electrical, with willingness to work in both; includes production of complete, checked, issue‑ready drawing packages and database‑driven deliverables such as cable schedules and load lists.
• Hands‑on experience producing one‑line diagrams, schematics, wiring diagrams, cable schedules, and raceway layouts.
• Working knowledge of the NEC (NFPA 70) as applied to design deliverables, including wiring methods, conduit fill, cable derating, and grounding requirements.
• Ability to read and interpret P&IDs, electrical schematics, loop diagrams, and instrument data sheets.
• Familiarity with hazardous area classification drawings and wiring methods for classified areas (NEC Article 500/505 or IEC 60079).
• Experience performing field walkdowns, capturing redlines, and producing as‑built documentation.
• Working knowledge of control panel layout, terminal arrangement, and field wiring practice, including grounding, shielding, and signal segregation.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Proficiency in both EPLAN and AVEVA Electrical.
• Experience with AutoCAD / AutoCAD Electrical, SmartPlant Electrical / Instrumentation (INtools), or Bentley platforms.
• Experience with 3D plant design tools (AVEVA E3D, AutoCAD Plant 3D, SmartPlant 3D, or Revit) including clash detection and model‑based drawing extraction.
• ADDA Certified Drafter, NICET certification, or equivalent credentials.
• Experience designing UL 508A listed industrial control panels.
• Experience with medium‑voltage distribution design (4.16 kV and above), generator connections, and utility interconnection drawings.
• Experience with cable separation and raceway design per IEEE 384 or equivalent nuclear separation criteria.
• Familiarity with nuclear quality requirements (NQA-1, 10 CFR 50 Appendix B) as applied to design documents, drawing control, and design change traceability.
• Experience with electrical installation design in nuclear, cleanroom, glovebox, or contamination‑controlled environments.
• Familiarity with IEC 62443 or NIST SP 800‑82 as applied to the physical OT network layer, including cabinet, switch, and cabling infrastructure supporting network segmentation.

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 $144,000 —$176,000 USD