Director, Nuclear Instrumentation & Electronics

Valar Atomics•Torrance, CA

12d•$225,000 - $300,000

About The Position

Valar Atomics is seeking a Director of Nuclear Instrumentation & Electronics to build and lead a new product organization within its Instrumentation, Control & Electrical organization. The team will supply hardware to the Reactor program across development, demonstration, and serial production, spanning detector design, analog and digital electronics, firmware, qualification and test, production engineering, and manufacturing operations. The role works closely with reactor I&C, automation and controls, reactor physics, nuclear safety, quality, supply chain, and licensing teams in a hands-on, safety-first environment. The position owns the full product lifecycle for neutron detectors, radiation monitors, signal-processing electronics, and associated nuclear-grade hardware—from detector physics and circuit design through qualification, production engineering, manufacturing, and field support. The objective is to establish an in-house capability that can deliver qualified hardware at production volume, on schedule, and to nuclear quality standards. The Director will build the organization and its teams; define the product roadmap and manufacturing strategy; lead product design, qualification, and transition to serial production; establish quality and licensing processes; manage supply-chain strategy, budgets, headcount, and capital equipment; support regulatory interactions; and provide field support for installed hardware. The role requires a bachelor's degree in a relevant technical discipline and at least 12 years of relevant experience, including at least 5 years leading engineering or product teams. Candidates must be eligible to access technology controlled under U.S. export control regulations, including 10 CFR Part 810, and must be legally authorized to work in the United States as a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident. The stated salary range is $225,000–$300,000 USD.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Nuclear Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, Engineering Physics, or a related discipline.
12 or more years of experience in radiation detection, nuclear instrumentation, or high-reliability electronics design and manufacturing, including 5 or more years leading engineering or product teams.
Deep technical knowledge of radiation detection physics and detector design, including neutron detection, gamma discrimination, and detector behavior in high-radiation and high-temperature environments.
Hands-on background in analog and mixed-signal electronics for low-level signal measurement, including noise, grounding, shielding, and signal integrity in long cable runs.
Demonstrated experience taking hardware products from design through qualification and into production, including DFM/DFT, production test, and yield improvement.
Experience operating under a formal quality program in nuclear, aerospace, defense, medical device, or a comparably regulated industry.
Working knowledge of nuclear equipment qualification and safety system standards, including IEEE 323, IEEE 344, IEEE 603, and Reg Guide 1.180.
Proven ability to build teams from the ground up, hire and develop strong engineers, and deliver on aggressive schedules.
Must be eligible to access technology controlled under U.S. export control regulations, including 10 CFR Part 810.
Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States as a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident.

Nice To Haves

Master's or PhD in Nuclear Engineering, Physics, or Electrical Engineering with a focus on radiation detection or instrumentation.
Professional Engineer (PE) license or eligibility.
Direct experience designing or manufacturing fission chambers, ion chambers, self-powered neutron detectors, or radiation monitors at a nuclear instrumentation vendor, national laboratory, or reactor developer.
Experience with nuclear safety-related hardware development under 10 CFR 50 Appendix B and NQA-1, including commercial grade dedication and 10 CFR Part 21 programs.
Experience with FPGA-based or digital signal processing for nuclear instrumentation, including firmware V&V for safety-related applications.
Experience with NRC or Agreement State materials licensing for special nuclear material or byproduct material.
Experience scaling hardware manufacturing in a startup or rapid-growth environment, including standing up new production facilities.
Familiarity with HTGR or other advanced reactor instrumentation challenges, including high-temperature, helium-environment, and graphite-moderated core applications.
Experience with electronics manufacturing standards (IPC-A-610, J-STD-001) and radiation-tolerant component selection.

Responsibilities

Build and lead the Nuclear Instrumentation & Electronics organization, including hiring, organizational design, and development of engineering, test, and manufacturing teams; set technical standards and a culture of ownership and execution.
Define and own the nuclear instrumentation and electronics product roadmap, including make-versus-buy decisions, platform strategy, and cost, volume, and schedule targets aligned to the reactor production ramp.
Own design of neutron flux detection hardware across source, intermediate, and power ranges, including fission chambers, ion chambers, proportional counters, and in-core or high-temperature detectors suited to the HTGR environment.
Own design of radiation monitoring instrumentation, including area, process, and effluent monitors and associated detector assemblies.
Own design of nuclear signal-processing electronics, including high-voltage bias supplies, preamplifiers, pulse, current, and Campbell mode processing, digital pulse processing, FPGA and embedded firmware, and interfaces to protection and control systems.
Lead equipment qualification programs, including environmental, seismic, EMI/RFI, radiation, and thermal aging qualification, as well as qualification test planning, execution, and reporting.
Ensure designs meet applicable nuclear safety system requirements and software/firmware lifecycle and V&V requirements, coordinating with reactor I&C and licensing teams.
Establish and scale manufacturing operations for detectors and electronics, including production line design, assembly processes, cleanroom and contamination-controlled work areas, test fixtures and automated test equipment, yield management, and capacity planning.
Drive design for manufacturability, test, and cost; transition designs from prototype to low-rate initial production and serial production with controlled production documentation.
Establish and maintain the product line's nuclear quality program, including 10 CFR 50 Appendix B and NQA-1 compliance, 10 CFR Part 21 reporting, commercial grade dedication of components, configuration management, and supplier qualification.
Oversee licensing and material-control requirements for detector production, including special nuclear material and byproduct material licensing for fissile coatings, neutron-sensitive materials, and calibration sources, coordinating with health physics and licensing teams.
Own supply-chain strategy for critical components and materials, develop second sources, and manage obsolescence.
Support NRC and DOE regulatory interactions for instrumentation design and qualification, including technical reports, audits, and responses to requests for additional information.
Provide field support for installed hardware, including commissioning support, failure analysis, corrective action, and reliability data collection to inform design and manufacturing.
Own organizational budget, headcount plan, and capital equipment plan for engineering, test, and manufacturing facilities.

Benefits

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
Opportunity to help build and scale transformative energy technology from the ground up