Lead Electrical Engineer

Valar Atomics•Torrance, CA

About The Position

Valar Atomics is seeking a Lead Electrical Engineer to build and lead its electrical engineering team and own electrical engineering delivery across the reactor, nuclear fuel manufacturing, power generation, and power distribution scopes. This player-coach role combines team building and day-to-day leadership with senior technical responsibility for electrical systems spanning low, medium, and high voltage, from utility interconnection and the generation switchyard through distribution and process and facility systems. The role owns the electrical architecture of a first-of-a-kind nuclear power plant, including generator integration, excitation and protection, step-up transformation, and grid interconnection. The Lead Electrical Engineer will establish the team's roles, hiring and development practices, engineering standards, checking practices, study bases, and documentation discipline. The position is responsible for the quality and schedule of studies, designs, specifications, and construction and commissioning support, and serves as the discipline's senior technical authority. The engineer will work with interdisciplinary teams and external utilities, authorities having jurisdiction, vendors, and other parties, while supporting program coordination and nuclear-quality documentation.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or a closely related discipline.
10 or more years of electrical engineering experience across power generation, utility, process, or industrial projects.
Demonstrated experience leading an electrical engineering team, including assigning and directing work, reviewing and approving engineers' output, and developing engineers.
Experience building an engineering team through direct hiring, including defining roles, recruiting, interviewing, and onboarding engineers.
Substantial power generation electrical experience, including generator integration, excitation, generator and interconnection protection, GSU transformers, switchyard or substation scope, and grid interconnection requirements. CHP experience fully satisfies this requirement.
Demonstrated design proficiency across LV, MV, and HV systems, from utility/transmission-level interconnection and switchyards through MV distribution to LV process and facility systems, including relevant studies, protection, and equipment specification.
Expert-level proficiency with power system analysis software such as SKM Power Tools, ETAP, PSS/E, or equivalent, including ownership or approval of load flow, short circuit, arc flash, and protection coordination studies.
End-to-end ownership of electrical scope on at least one major capital project, from front-end design through energisation and commissioning.
Strong working knowledge of applicable codes and standards, including NEC/NFPA 70, IEEE (including the C37 protection series), NEMA, ANSI, and IEC, sufficient to set and defend discipline standards.
Experience representing an electrical discipline to external parties such as utilities, AHJs, regulators, or major vendors.
Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States as a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident (green card holder).

Nice To Haves

Professional Engineer (P.E. / P.Eng.) registration or equivalent.
Experience leading utility interconnection from application through energisation, including interconnection agreements and PPA technical interfaces.
Nuclear facility electrical experience, including nuclear classification and separation requirements (IEEE 384, Class 1E concepts) or work under NQA-1 / 10 CFR 50 Appendix B quality programs.
Generator protection expertise (IEEE C37.102) and experience with synchronization, black start, or islanded operation schemes.
Experience with IEC 61850 substation automation and protection communication.
Experience with emergency and standby power system design, DC systems, and battery sizing (IEEE 485/1115).
Experience on first-of-a-kind, prototype, or early-stage plant programs where the electrical organization and its standards had to be built rather than inherited.

Responsibilities

Build the electrical engineering team by defining roles and requisitions with the Director, recruiting and interviewing candidates, making hiring recommendations, and onboarding new engineers.
Lead and develop the team day to day by assigning and prioritizing work, directing and reviewing technical output, managing performance, and supporting engineers' technical progression.
Own engineering resourcing strategy across Reactor, Nuclear Fuel Manufacturing, Power Generation, and Power Distribution, including internal versus contractor allocation and oversight of subcontractors and consultants.
Establish and evolve the discipline's checking practices, calculation and study bases, design standards, and documentation practices.
Own electrical engineering delivery across all four plant areas, including the scope, quality, and schedule of studies, designs, specifications, and construction and commissioning support.
Own end-to-end plant electrical architecture across HV utility interconnection and switchyard, generator and GSU transformer integration, MV distribution, LV process and facility systems, emergency and standby power, and DC/UPS systems.
Own power generation electrical scope, including generator specification and integration, excitation and voltage regulation, generator and interconnection protection, synchronization, auxiliary power, and grid code and interconnection requirements.
Approve power system studies, one-line development, protection philosophy and relay settings, and major equipment specifications; delegate approval authority to Staff and Principal engineers as the team grows.
Manage technical relationships with utilities and AHJs, including interconnection studies and agreements, protection interface requirements, code interpretation, compliance strategy, and inspection support.
Lead the electrical discipline in interdisciplinary design reviews, HAZOP studies, and licensing-support activities; represent the discipline at program level and resolve cross-discipline conflicts.
Lead vendor engagement for major electrical packages, including pre-qualification, technical bid evaluation, award recommendations, factory acceptance activities, and escalation of systemic vendor issues.
Coordinate electrical scope and interfaces across reactor, fuel manufacturing, power conversion, and site infrastructure programs, including load growth, energisation sequencing, and shared distribution infrastructure decisions.
Advise IC&E leadership on electrical technical risk, resourcing, and sequencing, providing independent technical judgment when schedule and cost pressures intersect with engineering integrity.
Maintain traceable engineering records for design decisions, analyses, and test results consistent with nuclear quality requirements.

Benefits

Competitive base salary
Equity ownership
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