Mechanical Maintenance Planner

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 Plant Operations organization, Utah Site Operations manages the day-to-day operation, maintenance, and readiness of Valar's Utah facilities. The team supports safe, reliable site operations while enabling successful project execution.

The Role 

Valar Atomics is seeking a Mechanical Maintenance Planner to develop mechanical maintenance work packages and planning processes for the Orangeville pilot plant. 

Key Responsibilities 

• Develop detailed work scope definitions for corrective, preventive and predictive maintenance on mechanical equipment, including pumps, compressors, blowers, valves, heat exchangers, piping systems, HVAC, cranes and rigging, and rotating equipment.
• Prepare and review work control packages that reference applicable procedures, drawings and work instructions, and that identify required tools, special equipment, spare parts, and vendor or contractor support.
• Incorporate rigging and lift plans, LOTO and isolation boundaries, confined space requirements, and foreign material exclusion controls into work packages as required.
• Establish schedule activities, durations and resource requirements, and provide alternative recommendations when constraints arise.
• Build and maintain asset records, PM schedules and work orders in eMaint (CMMS).
• Coordinate with operations, engineering, health physics, EHS and supply chain to ensure work is ready to execute.
• Ensure packages comply with applicable DOE nuclear safety requirements, OSHA standards, and site procedures.
• Use automated tools to develop schedules, spreadsheets, reports and graphics.
• Help create and continuously improve planning procedures, templates and standards as Valar scales.

Basic Qualifications  

• High school diploma or GED.
• 0-7 years of related mechanical maintenance, craft or planning experience.
• 2 + years of nuclear or DOE facility planning experience preferred.
• Working knowledge of power plant mechanical equipment maintenance and operation, plus planning principles and practices.
• Ability to read and interpret mechanical drawings, P&IDs and vendor technical manuals.
• Must be a U.S. person (see Export Control below).
• Ability to work on-site in Orangeville, Utah.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Hands-on experience with eMaint or a comparable CMMS such as Maximo, SAP PM or Passport.
• Background as a millwright, machinist, pipefitter or mechanical technician.
• Experience with DOE work control processes, such as Integrated Safety Management.
• Familiarity with scheduling tools such as Primavera P6 or MS Project.
• Experience supporting commissioning or startup of a new facility.
• Comfort in a fast-paced, early-stage environment where processes are still being built.

What We Offer  

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

Export Control

This position requires access to information subject to U.S. export control laws, including DOE 10 CFR Part 810, the EAR (15 CFR Parts 730–774) and ITAR (22 CFR Parts 120–130). Applicants must be U.S. persons: a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, asylee or refugee. Status information is used solely for export control compliance and in accordance with all applicable anti-discrimination laws.

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).