Infrastructure Design Manager

Valar Atomics•Torrance, CA

About The Position

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 The Construction and Infrastructure organization delivers the facilities, infrastructure, and construction projects required to support Valar's mission. The team manages planning, execution, and delivery of complex capital projects while ensuring quality, safety, and operational readiness. The Role As Infrastructure Design Manager, you will lead the planning, design, engineering, and technical delivery of complex infrastructure and facility projects from early concept through construction and commissioning. You will be the key interface between internal stakeholders, architects, engineers, contractors, vendors, and operations teams, setting design standards, managing design consultants, and driving technical decisions that balance safety, reliability, cost, schedule, maintainability, and long-term operational performance. Success in this role means coordinated, constructible designs, fewer design-related changes and rework, scalable standards across sites, and projects that move efficiently from concept to commissioning.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Architecture, Engineering, Construction Management, or a related technical discipline.
8+ years of experience in infrastructure design, engineering, construction, facilities, or capital projects.
Demonstrated experience managing multidisciplinary design teams and external engineering consultants.
Experience delivering complex commercial, industrial, manufacturing, data center, laboratory, or other technically demanding facilities from concept through construction and commissioning.
Strong understanding of multidisciplinary building and infrastructure systems.
Strong knowledge of design management, constructability, estimating, scheduling, and project delivery.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex technical issues to technical and non-technical audiences.
Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities in a rapidly changing environment.

Nice To Haves

PE, RA, PMP, or equivalent professional credential.
Experience with advanced manufacturing, semiconductor, quantum computing, data center, aerospace, defense, or other high-technology facilities.
Experience with large-scale capital programs and high-reliability or mission-critical infrastructure.
Experience developing corporate infrastructure standards and design criteria.
Experience with BIM/VDC and digital design coordination.
Experience with commissioning and operational readiness.
Experience working in an owner/operator organization.
Experience managing design firms and engineering consultants across multiple locations.

Responsibilities

Lead infrastructure planning and design for new facilities, expansions, renovations, and site development, including early feasibility, site selection, and master planning.
Translate business, manufacturing, operational, and facility requirements into clear design criteria, basis-of-design documents, and technical specifications.
Lead multidisciplinary design across civil, structural, architectural, MEP, utilities, process infrastructure, and specialty systems (e.g., electrical distribution, MV/LV, HVAC, process cooling, compressed air and gases, vacuum, fire protection, controls, telecom, and critical/redundant systems).
Evaluate design alternatives on technical performance, constructability, cost, schedule, reliability, and lifecycle considerations.
Manage architects, engineers, and specialty consultants; establish deliverables, milestones, review processes, and quality expectations.
Lead design reviews, interdisciplinary coordination, constructability reviews, and value-engineering exercises, resolving conflicts before they reach construction.
Manage technical decisions, design changes, RFIs, and deviations, ensuring designs are fully coordinated before release for construction.
Partner with construction, procurement, facilities, operations, manufacturing, EHS, and finance through procurement, construction, commissioning, and turnover.
Review submittals, shop drawings, equipment selections, and substitutions, and support field teams in resolving design issues while maintaining design intent.
Participate in project risk assessments and drive mitigation of technical and infrastructure risks.
Establish and continuously improve infrastructure design standards, equipment standards, and repeatable solutions deployable across multiple sites, while evaluating emerging technologies.
Serve as the primary design interface with stakeholders, presenting options, risks, cost implications, and recommendations to senior leadership and facilitating decisions when priorities conflict.

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