Systems Engineer - Product

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, Systems Engineering integrates complex technologies into cohesive, high-performing systems. The team manages technical requirements, interfaces, verification, and system-level performance throughout the product lifecycle.

The Role

The Systems Engineer develops and supports the integration of Valar Atomics' nuclear reactor system to increase the speed at which reactors are produced and brought into operation. The role brings requirements, architecture, interfaces, instrumentation, and controls together into a coherent whole that can be built, verified, licensed, and operated without rework. Well-executed integration eliminates the design churn, interface surprises, and licensing delays that traditionally stretch reactor programs, and turns each reactor into a repeatable product, so every successive unit is produced faster and brought into operation sooner than the last. A significant portion of this work involves instrumentation, controls, and automation. The role suits an early-career engineer who can contribute quickly with minimal supervision, wants hard problems and high ownership, and thrives in a collaborative team. This position will be located in Torrance, California. Occasional travel (<10%) to other company sites

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and manage system requirements
• Support system architecture development and design
• Develop and manage system integration across subsystems, with emphasis on instrumentation, controls, and automation
• Define and control system interfaces
• Apply systems engineering lifecycle processes across the reactor development program
• Build repeatable, configuration-controlled design baselines that accelerate each successive reactor iteration
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams
• Perform trade studies and risk assessments
• Create and maintain technical documentation, including design and licensing deliverables, test procedures, and system architecture descriptions
• Support integration, testing, verification, and validation activities through to reactor operation

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant engineering field
• 1+ years of engineering experience, including internships, co-ops, or graduate research
• Understanding of systems engineering principles
• Ability to work independently and deliver with minimal supervision
• Strong analytical and communication skills
• Demonstrated work ethic and follow-through in demanding environments

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in a relevant engineering field
• Experience with instrumentation, controls, process automation, or system integration
• Experience developing control logic, performing system simulations, or authoring test procedures
• Experience with MBSE methodologies and familiarity with SysML/UML
• Experience with requirements and lifecycle management tools (Polarion, DOORS, Jama, etc.)
• Experience in nuclear, aerospace, or other regulated industry
• Experience presenting technical work to professional audiences
• Familiarity with use and checking of work items generated by AI agents like Claude

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).