Staff Mechanical Engineer, Numenor (Reactor)

Valar Atomics•Torrance, CA

1d•$175,000 - $225,000

About The Position

Valar Atomics seeks a Staff Mechanical Engineer for its Numenor reactor program. The role serves as technical owner for major mechanical systems within the reactor plant, which may include the reactor, control rods, helium pressure boundary, helium services, HVAC, and Citadel. The engineer sets design direction for assigned systems and takes them from concept through build, test, and commissioning on the first unit, then drives them toward repeatable, scaled production. The position calls for hands-on technical authority and a hardware-first approach while maintaining the rigor and control needed to ensure the design basis is met. The engineer owns mechanical design bases and makes design decisions, leads reviews and analysis, and guides systems through key design gates. The role also takes designs to hardware through procurement, vendor management, factory build, and assembly; defines test and qualification plans with the verification and validation team; and supports integrated testing and commissioning through first operation. The engineer works across engineering and operations functions, mentors colleagues, and leads investigations and standards development. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States as a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident. The listed salary range is $175,000–$225,000 USD.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field.
8+ years of mechanical engineering experience on complex hardware, such as pressure systems, heat transfer equipment, mechanisms, or large structures.
Experience as the technical owner of a major system, setting margins and making design decisions.
Experience leading mechanical scope on hardware from concept through build, test, and commissioning.
Strong foundation in stress analysis, thermal design, materials, and pressure vessel and piping codes.
Proficiency in CAD (SolidWorks, Creo, NX, or similar) and engineering drawing standards.
Must be legally authorized to work in the United States as a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field.
Experience with high-temperature, high-pressure systems, such as pressure vessels, heat exchangers, and piping.
First-of-a-kind hardware experience in aerospace, power generation, oil and gas, or defense.
Experience with helium or other gas systems, including sealing, leak tightness, and rotating equipment.
Experience with precision mechanisms and actuators, plus their qualification testing.
Working knowledge of ASME pressure vessel and piping codes (Section VIII, B31.3).
Design-for-manufacture experience and experience scaling from prototype to series production.
Nuclear industry experience in commercial, defense, or national laboratory settings (a plus, not a prerequisite).
Mechanical PE license (a plus).

Responsibilities

Own the mechanical design basis for assigned systems, including requirements, interfaces, margins, materials, and code selection.
Make technical calls on design acceptability for assigned systems and escalate tradeoffs affecting the broader plant.
Lead design reviews and guide systems through gate decisions from concept to design freeze.
Perform and review stress, thermal, and fluid analyses (FEA and CFD), and set the analysis approach for the team working on assigned systems.
Take designs to hardware through procurement specifications, vendor selection and management, factory build, and assembly.
Define test and qualification plans with the V&V team, and support integrated testing and commissioning through first operation.
Design for manufacture and repeatability so each unit builds faster than the last.
Collaborate with systems engineering, safety, IC&E, quality, and supply chain to keep the plant design integrated.
Mentor senior and junior engineers, review their designs, and raise the technical bar across the mechanical team.
Lead root cause investigations on complex hardware issues and set mechanical design 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