---
title: 'Government Contracts and Regulatory Lawyer at Valar Atomics'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/government-contracts-and-regulatory-lawyer-valar-atomics-torrance-dh66c7dtp9ns'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-11-06'
---

# Government Contracts and Regulatory Lawyer at Valar Atomics

- **Company:** Valar Atomics
- **Location:** Torrance, CA
- **Compensation:** $220k–$260k
- **Posted:** 2026-10-30
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-11-06
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/valaratomics/jobs/4474749009

## 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, Legal provides strategic legal guidance that enables innovation while protecting the company's interests. The team manages contracts, corporate governance, intellectual property, regulatory matters, and legal risk across the organization.

## The Role

Valar Atomics is looking for a Government Contracts & Regulatory Counsel to build the regulatory side of our legal function from the ground up. Reporting directly to the General Counsel, you’ll own the frameworks that let us move fast with government: export controls that govern who can see our technology, agreements with federal, state, and local agencies, land access and permitting, public records, foreign ownership matters, and the compliance foundation regulators and partners need to trust us. Advanced nuclear doesn’t move without this work, and you’ll be the one designing it.

This is a builder’s role, not a maintainer’s. We’re looking for someone who has thrived in fast-paced startup environments, takes ownership without waiting to be asked, and is energized by creating policies and programs where none exist yet. Just as important, you’ll be commercial and versatile: while regulatory work is your focus, you’ll also jump in on commercial vendor agreements, supplier contracts, and whatever else the business needs. You’ll work side by side with engineers and executives, have real influence on how we operate, and have a front-row seat as we move from a pilot plant in Utah to commercial deployment.

## Key Responsibilities

- Lead export control compliance, including 10 CFR Part 810, the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR); advise on technology classification, deemed exports, foreign national access, and authorization requirements.
- Draft, negotiate, and manage agreements with federal, state, and local government entities, including Other Transaction Agreements, cooperative agreements, procurement contracts, and site and land-use agreements, and manage associated flow-down and compliance obligations.
- Prepare and coordinate regulatory comment letters and other submissions to agencies on proposed rules, guidance, and policy developments affecting advanced nuclear, fuel, and energy infrastructure.
- Manage responses to and from public records requests under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), Utah’s Government Records Access and Management Act (GRAMA), and similar state laws, including protecting confidential business information in government submissions.
- Build compliance policies, procedures, training, and infrastructure from scratch, scaling them as the company grows from pilot operations to commercial deployment.
- Design and operate trade compliance programs, including technology control plans, restricted-party screening, recordkeeping, and import/export controls for equipment, materials, and technical data.
- Support land access and permitting across federal and state agencies, including the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration (SITLA), and environmental and siting authorities, coordinating with project and engineering teams on NEPA and related requirements.
- Manage foreign ownership, control, or influence (FOCI) matters, including assessing investor and partner structures, implementing mitigation measures, and coordinating, preparing, and submitting the relevant FOCI filings with government agencies.
- Support the broader legal team on commercial matters as needs arise, including vendor and supplier agreements, NDAs, services agreements, and other transactional work.
- Serve as a trusted advisor to executives, engineering, operations, and business development on government relationships, regulatory risk, and compliance strategy.
- Manage outside counsel and budgets on specialized matters while keeping core expertise in-house.

## Basic Qualifications

- J.D. from an accredited law school and in good standing with the State Bar of California, or eligible to register as California Registered In-House Counsel.
- 5+ years of experience in government contracts, regulatory, or export control practice at a law firm, in-house legal department, or government agency.
- Hands-on experience with U.S. export control regimes (EAR, ITAR, and/or 10 CFR Part 810).
- Experience drafting and negotiating agreements with federal, state, or local government entities.
- Strong writing skills, sound judgment, and the ability to translate complex legal requirements into practical guidance for technical teams.

## Preferred Skills and Experience

- Experience in the nuclear, energy, defense, or other highly regulated industry, including with the Department of Energy, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, or national laboratories.
- Direct experience with 10 CFR Part 810 authorizations, EAR license applications and classification requests, or ITAR registration and licensing.
- Familiarity with Other Transaction Agreements, DOE acquisition regulations (DEAR), the FAR, and associated flow-down requirements.
- Experience with Department of Defense and military contracts, including the DFARS, other transaction agreements with defense agencies or military services, and associated cybersecurity requirements such as NIST SP 800-171 and CMMC, to support potential future defense work.
- Experience with federal and state land and permitting processes, including BLM, SITLA, NEPA, and state environmental agencies.
- Experience implementing FOCI assessments and mitigation, or working with CFIUS, DCSA, or DOE on foreign ownership matters.
- A track record of building compliance programs or legal functions from the ground up in a startup or high-growth environment.
- Experience drafting regulatory comments and managing FOIA or state public records matters.
- Experience working in a fast-paced startup or high-growth company, with a demonstrated ability to handle a wide range of legal matters beyond a single specialty, including commercial contracting.
- Eligibility to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance.

## 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). Salary $220,000—$260,000 USD

## 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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