About the role
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 As part of the Engineering organization, Instrumentations & Controls designs the systems that monitor, automate, and protect Valar's facilities and reactor technologies.
The team develops reliable control architectures that enable safe and efficient operations.
The Role You will serve as a senior technical authority for nuclear instrumentation and controls (I&C) systems with a focus on neutron detection , detector signal processing electronics , and radiation monitoring equipment . This role supports reactor design, test operations, and safety- significant monitoring systems, ensuring compliance with nuclear industry codes and standards. You will lead design efforts, system integration, vendor oversight, safety evaluations, and commissioning activities for reactor protection and radiation monitoring systems. Key
Responsibilities Instrumentation & Detection Systems Lead design, specification, selection, and integration of neutron detectors (e.g., fission chambers, boron-lined detectors) and associated signal conditioning electronics (wide-range, source range channels). Design and validate radiation monitoring systems including area monitors, process radiation monitors, stack monitors, and coolant activity systems. Oversee detector placement, shielding design, and response characterization (in-core and ex-core). Perform calibration strategies and uncertainty analyses for neutron flux power range, intermediate range, and startup-range instrumentation. I&C Engineering Develop and maintain I&C architectures for safety-related and non-safety systems in accordance with IEEE 603, IEC 61508, and DOE guidance . Produce and review engineering deliverables: control logic, loop diagrams, instrument datasheets, architecture drawings, control narratives, and functional requirement specifications. Execute I&C system modeling, failure modes analysis, response time calculations, and SIL/Category/Level classification (per IEC/ISA standards). Design interfaces to PLCs, safety-significant controllers, distributed I/O, and high-reliability digital platforms. Guide system integration with reactor protection, and radiation monitoring systems. Testing, Validation, and Qualification Lead Factory Acceptance Tests (FAT) , Site Acceptance Tests (SAT) , environmental qualification (EQ), and seismic qualification for sensitive instrumentation. Develop calibration, maintenance, and surveillance procedures for neutron and radiation detectors. Support performance testing, flux mapping, channel operability checks, trip setpoint verification, and acceptance criteria development. Regulatory & Standards Compliance Ensure system designs adhere to nuclear regulatory
