Mechanisms Technician

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, Mechanical Engineering designs and develops the mechanicalsystems, components, and equipment that power Valar's advanced nuclear technologies. The teamensures designs are robust, manufacturable, and optimized for long-term performance.

The Role 

We're looking for a Mechanisms Technician to build some of the most safety-critical hardware in our nuclear reactor. The systems you assemble will be sealed inside the reactor and can't be serviced once installed, so they have to be built right the first time, every time.
This is a first-of-a-kind role. You'll take a CAD model or drawing and a set of loose parts and turn them into a correct, working system, often with no existing procedure to follow. You'll work with pumps, turbines, gearboxes, large piping, pressure vessels, and other precision mechanical equipment. Working side by side with our engineers, you'll figure out how each system should be built, help write the procedures and manuals, and feed what you learn on the floor back into the design.
This role suits someone with an engineering mindset and real hands-on skill, who takes pride in precise work and doesn't mind getting their hands dirty.

Key Responsibilities 

• Assemble safety-critical mechanical systems for a nuclear reactor from CAD models, engineering drawings, and parts lists, including pumps, turbines, gearboxes, piping, and pressure vessels.
• Build systems correctly the first time, with the understanding that installed hardware can't be serviced or repaired.
• Work with engineers to determine assembly sequences, tooling, and methods for first-of-a-kind hardware.
• Help write and refine assembly procedures, work instructions, and system manuals based on hands-on builds.
• Recommend design changes that make parts easier to manufacture, assemble, and inspect.
• Document every build in full, including torque values, measurements, fits, clearances, materials, and the standards followed.
• Inspect parts and assemblies for conformance to drawings and specifications.
• Follow strict quality, cleanliness, and foreign material exclusion (FME) practices.
• Troubleshoot assembly problems and help engineering resolve nonconformances.

Basic Qualifications  

• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, CAD models, and GD&T.
• Proficiency with precision measuring tools, including micrometers, calipers, bore gauges, dial indicators, and torque tools.
• Working knowledge of fits, tolerances, fasteners, bearings, seals, and shaft alignment.
• Clear, accurate written documentation skills.
• Strong attention to detail and a commitment to quality over speed.
• Ability to lift heavy components, work in a shop environment, and use rigging and lifting equipment safely.

Preferred Skills and Experience  

• Experience in nuclear, aerospace, naval, defense, or other high-reliability industries.
• Familiarity with quality programs such as NQA-1, AS9100, or ISO 9001.
• Experience with ASME pressure vessel or piping codes (Section III or VIII, B31.1, B31.3).
• Experience building prototypes or first-article assemblies.
• Experience writing or contributing to assembly procedures or technical manuals.
• Rigging, crane, or forklift certification.
• Experience with laser alignment, leak testing, or pressure testing.
• Associate degree or certificate in mechanical technology, or equivalent military or trade training.
• An engineering mindset, with the ability to understand why a system is designed the way it is and suggest practical improvements.

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 
• 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).