Senior Process Engineer, Numenor (Reactor)
About The Position
Valar Atomics seeks a Senior Process Engineer for its Numenor reactor program. The role owns the helium process systems that support the reactor, including helium services, purification, and systems interfacing with the primary helium loop and helium pressure boundary. The engineer will take these systems from concept through design, build, test, and commissioning on the first unit, then help transition them to repeatable, scaled production. The role is hands-on and hardware-first, with responsibility for ensuring the design basis is met. The engineer will own process architecture and design, perform process analyses, develop engineering documentation, specify and integrate equipment, and contribute to design reviews and safety analyses. They will also take designs through vendor selection, manufacturing documentation review, fabrication oversight, acceptance testing, integration, installation, startup, commissioning, and troubleshooting. The role works closely with cross-functional plant teams and includes mentoring junior engineers and contributing to process engineering standards.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, or a related field.
- At least 5 years designing industrial process systems, gas handling systems, thermal-fluid systems, or related energy systems.
- Proven track record taking complex engineered systems from concept through build, test, and commissioning.
- Strong foundation in thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and process engineering principles.
- Experience developing PFDs, P&IDs, process calculations, equipment specifications, and operating procedures.
- Familiarity with industrial instrumentation, process controls, and gas analysis systems.
- 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
- Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, or a related field.
- Experience with helium, cryogenic, high-pressure gas, gas purification, or vacuum systems, including sealing and leak tightness.
- Familiarity with helium coolant chemistry, impurity control, moisture management, graphite compatibility, and gas sampling.
- First-of-a-kind system experience in aerospace, power generation, oil and gas, chemical processing, or defense.
- Working knowledge of ASME pressure vessel and piping codes, including Section VIII and B31.3, and industrial gas handling standards.
- Experience with design for manufacture and scaling from prototype to series production.
- Nuclear industry experience, including HTGRs or other advanced reactors in commercial, defense, or national laboratory settings; a plus, not a prerequisite.
Responsibilities
- Own the process architecture and design of helium systems from concept through design freeze.
- Perform mass and energy balances, pressure-drop, heat-transfer, equipment-sizing, gas-flow, and transient-system analyses.
- Develop PFDs, P&IDs, equipment and piping specifications, engineering calculations, and operating procedures.
- Specify and integrate pressure vessels, heat exchangers, adsorption systems, compressors, valves, piping, instrumentation, and gas analyzers.
- Present designs at design reviews and participate in HAZOPs, FMEAs, and system safety analyses.
- Translate designs into hardware through technical requirements, vendor selection, proposal review, and approval of manufacturing documentation.
- Lead fabrication oversight, inspections, issue resolution, and acceptance testing with internal manufacturing and suppliers.
- Lead system integration, installation, startup, commissioning, and troubleshooting through first operation.
- Design systems for manufacture and repeatability so each unit can be built faster than the last.
- Collaborate with mechanical, systems engineering, safety, IC&E, quality, and supply chain teams to maintain an integrated plant design.
- Mentor junior engineers and contribute to process engineering standards and best practices.
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.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
