Health Physics Technician (HPT)

Valar Atomics is a nuclear energy company focused on scaling high-temperature gas reactors (HTGRs) for grid-independent industrial applications. The company is developing what it calls gigasites, large-scale facilities housing hundreds of nuclear reactors intended to power heavy industry, data centers, hydrogen production, and clean hydrocarbon fuel synthesis. Their reactor design uses TRISO fuel, a graphite moderator, and helium coolant, a combination the company highlights for its strong safety profile and proliferation resistance. By operating outside the traditional electricity grid, Valar Atomics aims to unlock economies of scale that have historically eluded the nuclear industry. Valar Atomics' mission centers on making nuclear energy the cheapest and most reliable energy source in the world, with a particular emphasis on decarbonizing industrial processes and enabling clean fuel production. Their hydrogen output, generated via a sulfur-iodine thermochemical cycle, can be combined with captured CO2 to produce synthetic hydrocarbons through a modified Fischer-Tropsch process, offering a pathway to drop-in clean fuels. The company also targets the surging power demands of AI data centers, which are projected to require over 200 additional terawatt-hours of grid power by 2030. The company is currently advancing its Ward 250 project, a test reactor being developed in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy, the San Rafael Energy Research Center, and the State of Utah, with a target go-live date of July 4, 2026, America's 250th birthday. The reactor has already been physically transported to Emery County, Utah, with logistical support from the U.S. military. Four executive orders issued under the Trump administration provided a mandate supporting the project's accelerated deployment timeline.

 

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.

About The Role

Valar Atomics is seeking a Health Physics Technician (HPT) to help establish and maintain world-class radiological protection programs supporting the development, commissioning, and operation of advanced nuclear facilities. This is not a role where you simply perform surveys and complete paperwork—you will be an active partner to operations, maintenance, engineering, and radiation protection teams to ensure work is executed safely, efficiently, and in compliance with regulatory requirements.

As a Health Physics Technician, you will be responsible for identifying radiological hazards, implementing effective controls, supporting work execution in the field, and maintaining the high standards required for nuclear operations. You will play a critical role in protecting personnel, facilities, and the environment while helping advance technology that has the potential to reshape the future of energy.

This role is ideal for someone who enjoys working in the field, thrives in a hands-on operational environment, and possesses the judgment and integrity required to maintain a strong nuclear safety culture.

Key Responsibilities

• Perform radiological surveys including radiation, contamination, and airborne radioactivity assessments to characterize facility and worksite conditions.
• Provide continuous or intermittent radiological coverage for operations, maintenance, construction, and testing activities.
• Verify compliance with Radiological Work Permits (RWPs), work controls, and radiological protection requirements.
• Exercise stop-work authority when radiological conditions change or personnel safety may be compromised.
• Establish and maintain radiological postings, barriers, access controls, and contamination control boundaries.
• Issue, track, and maintain personnel dosimetry, radiological monitoring equipment, and protective equipment.
• Conduct contamination surveys, smear/swipe surveys, and personnel monitoring activities.
• Perform daily operability checks, source checks, and routine maintenance of portable and fixed radiation detection instrumentation.
• Operate and maintain health physics instrumentation including ion chambers, GM survey meters, contamination monitors, friskers, and air sampling equipment.
• Support implementation of ALARA principles and radiological work planning activities.
• Serve as a member of the emergency response organization, providing radiological assessment and support during abnormal or emergency conditions.
• Generate accurate, complete, and technically defensible survey records, logs, and documentation.
• Support audits, inspections, procedure development, and regulatory compliance activities.
• Collaborate closely with operations, maintenance, engineering, and safety teams to execute work safely and efficiently.
• Help build and continuously improve radiological protection processes, procedures, and standards as Valar scales its operations.

Basic Qualifications

• Associate's degree or higher in Health Physics, Radiation Protection, Nuclear Technology, or a related scientific discipline; OR
• High School Diploma (or equivalent) and completion of a formal Health Physics Technician qualification program, including:
  • U.S. Navy Engineering Laboratory Technician (ELT)
  • ANSI/ANS commercial nuclear qualification program
  • DOE-HDBK-1122 qualification program
  • Equivalent recognized HPT qualification program; OR
• Current National Registry of Radiation Protection Technologists (NRRPT) certification.
• Experience performing radiological surveys involving alpha, beta, gamma, and neutron radiation.
• Experience conducting contamination surveys and smear/swipe sampling.
• Proficiency operating portable health physics instrumentation and radiological monitoring equipment.
• Working knowledge of contamination control, radiological postings, RWPs, personnel monitoring, and ALARA principles.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to identify changing radiological conditions in the field.
• Ability to communicate effectively with technicians, engineers, operators, and management personnel.
• Willingness to relocate to Utah to support facility operations.
• Ability to travel periodically to Valar headquarters in Hawthorne, California.
• Ability to work in industrial environments while wearing required PPE and radiological protection equipment.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Previous experience supporting Department of Energy (DOE) facilities, national laboratories, or DOE contractors.
• Commercial nuclear power experience.
• Experience supporting reactor operations, startup, commissioning, maintenance, or refueling activities.
• Familiarity with reactor systems and associated radiological hazards.
• Current NRRPT certification.
• Experience working in highly regulated nuclear or industrial environments.
• Strong understanding of 10 CFR 835 requirements and radiological protection best practices.
• Experience supporting emergency preparedness and response organizations.
• Demonstrated ability to identify hazards, challenge unsafe conditions, and uphold a strong safety culture.
• Experience helping develop or improve radiological protection programs, procedures, or work controls.

What We Offer  

• Competitive base salary 
• Equity ownership in a rapidly growing advanced energy company 
• Comprehensive medical benefits 
• Free daily lunch and dinner provided onsite 
• 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

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Valar Atomics is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable law.

We are committed to providing a workplace free of discrimination and harassment and will provide reasonable accommodation as required by law.

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States as a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident (green card holder).