---
title: 'Director of People Operations at Valar Atomics'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/director-of-people-operations-valar-atomics-orangeville-utah-m0vyhm9tsj7v'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-11'
---

# Director of People Operations at Valar Atomics

- **Company:** Valar Atomics
- **Location:** Orangeville Utah, United States
- **Posted:** 2026-08-22
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-11
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/valaratomics/jobs/4379643009

## Job description

## 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 Business organization, People and Talent attracts, develops, and supports the exceptional individuals who drive Valar's success. The team partners across the company to build a high-performing organization through recruiting, employee development, engagement, and people operations.

## The Role

Valar Atomics is seeking an Director of People Operations to build, implement, and scale the people systems, policies, and processes that support our rapidly growing organization. This role serves as the operational backbone of the Human Resources function and will work closely with company leadership to ensure the company can continue scaling efficiently while maintaining a high-performance culture.

This is not a traditional HR role focused solely on employee relations or administration. We are looking for a builder who enjoys creating structure where little exists, developing scalable processes, and helping leaders navigate the challenges that come with rapid organizational growth.

The Director of People Operations will own core HR operations, compliance, performance management, employee relations, workforce planning, compensation administration, and employee lifecycle programs while helping establish the foundation for a world-class people organization.

This is a fully on-site role based in Orangeville, Utah.

## Key Responsibilities

- Own and manage day-to-day HR operations across the employee lifecycle.
- Develop and maintain HR policies, procedures, and employee handbooks.
- Partner with leadership on employee relations, performance management, and organizational effectiveness initiatives.
- Administer performance review cycles, goal-setting processes, and employee development programs.
- Manage employee onboarding, offboarding, and orientation processes.
- Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations.
- Serve as a trusted resource for employees and managers regarding workplace policies and employee matters.
- Support compensation administration, salary benchmarking, and promotion processes.
- Partner with recruiting to support workforce planning and organizational growth initiatives.
- Manage leave administration, accommodations, and other employee programs.
- Maintain HR systems, employee records, and reporting infrastructure.
- Develop and track key people metrics and workforce analytics.
- Support organizational planning and headcount forecasting activities.
- Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, consistency, and scalability across HR processes.
- Help preserve and strengthen Valar's culture during periods of rapid growth.

You Will Be Successful in This Role If

- You enjoy building systems, processes, and infrastructure from the ground floor.
- You thrive in fast-paced, high-growth environments where priorities change quickly.
- You are highly organized and capable of managing multiple competing priorities.
- You balance employee advocacy with sound business judgment.
- You can confidently navigate difficult conversations while maintaining professionalism and trust.
- You identify problems proactively and develop practical solutions before issues escalate.
- You are comfortable operating with ambiguity and creating structure where little exists.
- You have strong attention to detail and consistently follow through on commitments.

## Basic Qualifications

- 8+ years of progressive Human Resources experience.
- Strong working knowledge of California employment law and HR compliance requirements.
- Experience managing employee relations, performance management, and HR operations.
- Experience developing or improving HR policies, programs, and processes.
- Strong communication, interpersonal, and conflict-resolution skills.
- Excellent organizational and project management abilities.
- High level of discretion when handling confidential information.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
- Ability to work effectively across all levels of the organization.
- Based in or willing to relocate to Hawthorne, CA.

## Preferred Skills and Experience

- Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field.
- SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SPHR certification.
- Experience supporting high-growth startup or scaling organizations.
- Experience in manufacturing, aerospace, defense, energy, construction, or other industrial environments.
- Experience implementing or managing HRIS platforms and people systems.
- Familiarity with compensation benchmarking and workforce planning.
- Experience supporting both salaried and hourly employee populations.
- Experience helping organizations scale from approximately 100 employees to 500+ employees.
- Strong understanding of organizational development and talent management practices.

## 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.

## About Valar Atomics

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Valar Atomics is scaling nuclear energy through grid-independent, high-temperature gas reactors (HTGR) for hydrogen production, data center power, heavy industrial power, and clean hydrocarbon fuel synthesis.
- **Entity Type**: Private (total funding $494M–$600.5M, latest round Debt - II)
- **Headquarters**: El Segundo, California, United States (additional location in Orangeville, Utah)
- **Founded**: 2023
- **Founders**: Not publicly listed (key executives include President Muhammad Shahzad and CNO Mark Mitchell)

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Nuclear energy / advanced nuclear reactor technology
- **Target customers**: Large-scale industrial users (hydrogen producers, data centers, heavy industry), grid-independent operations, and fuel synthesis plants (B2B, Enterprise)
- **Mission or purpose**: “Nuclear needs scale” – unlock economies of scale by building hundreds of reactors on Valar gigasites, divorcing industrial power from the traditional grid.

## Products & Services
- **[Ward 250 Reactor]**: A grid-independent HTGR using TRISO fuel, designed for high-volume, non-bespoke production. Achieved criticality in June 2026 under DOE’s pilot program. Product type: Hardware (nuclear reactor).
- **[Hydrogen Production]**: Reactors paired with a sulfur-iodine cycle process to produce cheap, abundant hydrogen. Product type: Industrial energy product.
- **[Data Center Power]**: Dedicated on-site nuclear power for AI data centers, targeting AI’s projected 200+ TWh additional demand by 2030. Product type: Service / infrastructure.
- **[Heavy Industrial Power]**: Grid-independent power for processes like green steel and bauxite electrolysis. Product type: Service / infrastructure.
- **[Clean Hydrocarbon Fuels]**: Combines cheap hydrogen with captured CO₂ via a modified Fischer-Tropsch process to create synthetic fuels. Product type: Fuel product.
- **[Modular Citadel Shielding]**: Pre-cast, self-tensioning shielding system for mass-manufactured reactor protection. Production line capable of 1,000+ blocks per year. Product type: Hardware component.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation / Market Cap**: Not disclosed (CB Insights shows valuation as hidden)
- **Key Metric**: Total funding reported as $494M (LinkedIn) or $600.5M (CB Insights, conflicting reports); latest round debt financing in November 2025.
- **Notable Investors**: Palmer Luckey, Shyam Sankar, Day One Ventures, DTX Ventures, Contrary, Riot Ventures (led Seed), Snowpoint Ventures (led Series A), and 28+ others.
- **Growth Signals**: Headcount of 74 employees (+232% YoY, +9.6% monthly); 30 active job postings; Ward 250 reactor achieved criticality in June 2026; partnerships with DOE, San Rafael Energy Research Center, and State of Utah; opened first nuclear site (San Rafael) in February 2026.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Proven HTGR design** with unmatched safety profile and proliferation resistance when paired with TRISO fuel.
- **Grid-independent “gigasite” model** that avoids traditional grid constraints, enabling mass manufacturing of standardized reactors.
- **Vertical integration**: In-house design of reactors, fuel processing (sulfur-iodine cycle), and shielding systems (Modular Citadel).
- **Speed to market**: Ward 250 is on track for power operations before July 4, 2026, under a DOE mandate.
- **Talent base**: Attracts engineers from Ultra Safe Nuclear, X-energy, Anduril, and other advanced hardware companies.

## Strategic Focus
- **Scale manufacturing**: Transition from project-based nuclear to high-volume production through gigasites.
- **Achieve operational milestones**: Achieve hot criticality and power operation at Ward 250 by mid-2026.
- **Expand product lines**: Deliver grid-independent hydrogen, data center power, and synthetic fuels to meet industrial and AI energy demands.
- **Grow headcount rapidly**: Aggressively hiring in engineering, operations, quality, and technical roles.

## Why Work Here
- **Mission-driven culture**: “Hardware is the only thing that counts” – emphasis on building real reactors, not just pitching.
- **High growth environment**: Company doubled headcount in the past year; roles offer significant ownership and impact.
- **Locations**: Hawthorne (CA), El Segundo (CA), Orangeville (UT), and Huntington (UT) – roles span design, manufacturing, and field operations.
- **Work style**: Likely on-site/hybrid for technical roles (e.g., Build Engineer, Nuclear Operations Manager, Machinist).
- **Perks & culture**: Rapid advancement opportunities, exposure to cutting-edge nuclear and chemical engineering, and a team with deep ties to defense and deep-tech.
- **Current openings**: 30+ roles including mechanical engineers, plant operators, quality engineers, finance systems engineers, and technical recruiters.

## Sources
1. [valaratomics.com](https://valaratomics.com/)
2. [Greenhouse careers](http://job-boards.greenhouse.io/valaratomics)
3. [CB Insights](https://www.cbinsights.com/company/valar-atomics)
4. [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/valar-atomics)

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