Material Control and Accounting Specialist

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.

The Team

As part of the Engineering organization, Fuels & Materials develops and qualifies the advanced materials and fuel technologies that form the foundation of Valar's reactor systems. The team ensures performance, reliability, and long-term durability under demanding operating conditions. 

 The Role

The Material Control and Accounting (MC&A) Specialist leads the nuclear material safeguards program at Valar Atomics TRISO manufacturing facilities. This position is responsible for ensuring the accurate accounting, control, and protection of special nuclear material (SNM) in compliance with Department of Energy (DOE) and Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) requirements.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and maintain the MC&A Plan and associated procedures.
• Oversee all nuclear material measurements, physical inventories, and material transactions.
• Manage material balance areas (MBAs) to ensure accurate material tracking.
• Ensure timely and accurate reporting to the Nuclear Materials Management and Safeguards System (NMMSS).
• Maintain nuclear material accounting records and documentation in accordance with regulatory requirements.
• Conduct material balance evaluations and resolve inventory differences.
• Ensure facility compliance with NE O Order 474.2 (Nuclear Material Control and Accountability).
• Implement requirements of NE O Order 470.4B (Safeguards and Security Program).
• Support compliance with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Additional Protocol requirements where applicable.
• Stay current on regulatory changes and implement updates to the MC&A program as required.
• Prepare for and support regulatory inspections, audits, and assessments.
• Support inspections and domestic safeguards reviews as required.
• Implement and maintain tamper-indicating device (TID) programs for material protection.
• Manage the measurement control program including calibration, quality control, and uncertainty quantification.
• Conduct limit of error of inventory difference (LEID) analysis and statistical evaluations.
• Ensure effective integration of MC&A with physical protection and security systems.
• Apply knowledge of non-proliferation principles to safeguards program design and implementation.
• Support DOE/ NRC assessments, surveys, and vulnerability analyses.
• Conduct internal audits of MC&A processes and implement corrective action programs.
• Lead root cause analyses for inventory differences or safeguards anomalies.
• Drive continuous improvement of safeguards effectiveness and efficiency.
• Prepare management reports on MC&A program performance and status

You Will Be Successful in This Role If

• You hold yourself and your work to an exceptional standard of accuracy
• You collaborate effectively across organizational boundaries
• You approach regulatory inspections and audits with confidence and transparency
• You demonstrate ownership over program performance and culture
• You remain composed and adaptive in a dynamic regulatory environment

Basic Qualifications

• Experience in nuclear material control and accounting or nuclear safeguards.
• Experience at a site handling Special Nuclear Material; commercial, DOE, NNSA facility, National Laboratory, etc.
• Demonstrated knowledge of DOE/ NE O orders (474.2, 470.4B) and NRC regulations (10 CFR 74).
• Experience with MC&A software systems and database management.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Familiarity with destructive assay (DA) and non-destructive assay (NDA) techniques.
• Experience with statistical analysis, measurement uncertainty, and error propagation methods.
• Strong understanding of nuclear material types, forms, and measurement techniques.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a highly regulated environment.
• Knowledge of physical protection systems and their integration with MC&A

What We Offer  

• 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

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).