Senior Mechanical Engineer
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 Role We're seeking a highly skilled Senior Mechanical Design Engineer to join our engineering team and accelerate the frontier of advanced power generation. In this role, you'll be responsible for designing, developing, and validating mechanical systems and components that meet performance, manufacturability, and cost requirements. You'll work closely with cross-functional teams to bring innovative products from concept to production, and serve as a technical leader and mentor for less experienced engineers.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field.
- 5–10 years of experience in mechanical design and product development.
- Proven track record of designing and delivering production-ready hardware.
- Expertise in CAD (SolidWorks, Creo, NX, or similar) and mechanical drafting standards.
- Strong knowledge of materials, manufacturing processes, and mechanical systems.
- Experience performing or overseeing FEA and CFD analyses.
- Excellent communication, technical documentation, and leadership skills.
Nice To Haves
- Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field.
- Experience in high-performance or safety-critical systems (aerospace, energy, or defense).
- Deep understanding of DFM/DFA and reliability engineering.
- Familiarity with PLM/PDM tools and design control processes.
- Hands-on prototyping, testing, and validation experience.
- Strong analytical mindset with the ability to lead root cause investigations.
Responsibilities
- Lead mechanical design efforts for major subsystems, ensuring alignment between performance targets, manufacturability, and cost.
- Mentor junior engineers and review mechanical designs to ensure consistency with company standards and engineering rigor.
- Develop detailed 3D CAD models, assemblies, and engineering drawings (SolidWorks, Creo, or NX), applying advanced GD&T and tolerance analysis.
- Perform structural, thermal, and fluid analyses (FEA and CFD) to validate system performance and reliability.
- Oversee prototype fabrication, assembly, and testing, and interpret results to refine designs and improve system performance.
- Partner with electrical, manufacturing, and systems engineers to drive integration and design optimization.
- Work closely with vendors to manage DFM feedback, manufacturing process selection, and quality control.
- Contribute to internal best practices for mechanical design, documentation, and configuration management.
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
Stand Out From the Crowd
Upload your resume and get instant feedback on how well it matches this job.
What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
