---
title: 'Health Physicist at Valar Atomics'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/health-physicist-valar-atomics-orangeville-utah-t5x7qham6681'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-11'
---

# Health Physicist at Valar Atomics

- **Company:** Valar Atomics
- **Location:** Orangeville Utah, United States
- **Posted:** 2026-01-15
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-11
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/valaratomics/jobs/4105433009

## 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 Plant Operations organization, Health Physics protects personnel, the public, and the environment through comprehensive radiological safety programs. The team monitors radiation, maintains regulatory compliance, and supports safe nuclear operations.

## About The Role

Valar Atomics is seeking a Health Physicist to serve as the technical backbone of our Radiation Protection Program. You will be the subject matter expert responsible for the "why" and "how" of radiological safety-from calculating shielding requirements to designing the dosimetry program.

This role begins with an onboarding period at our HQ in Los Angeles before deploying to our pilot site in Utah. You will work closely with the Principal Health Physicist and the Operations team to ensure our program is robust, defensible, and built for the real world.

## Key Responsibilities

- Technical Authority: Develop and maintain the technical basis for the Radiation Protection Program, including internal/external dosimetry, instrumentation, and airborne radioactivity monitoring.
- ALARA Planning: Lead ALARA reviews for high-hazard work. Perform shielding calculations and dose assessments to engineer safety into every job.
- Procedure Development: Write clear, concise technical procedures that translate regulatory requirements (10 CFR 835) into actionable steps for the field team.
- Instrumentation: Oversee the selection, calibration, and maintenance of our radiological instrumentation fleet, ensuring our data is always accurate.
- Training: Develop and deliver high-impact radiation safety training to staff, from General Employees to Radiological Workers.
- Regulatory Compliance: Manage the reporting and recordkeeping requirements, ensuring we are always audit-ready and fully compliant with DOE and state regulations.

## Who You Are

- A Problem Solver: You don't just identify a high dose rate; you find the engineering solution to lower it.
- A Communicator: You can explain complex radiological concepts to engineers, operators, and regulators with equal clarity.
- Detail-Oriented: You know that in Health Physics, accuracy is everything. You take pride in precise calculations and flawless documentation.
- Driven: You are excited to build a program from the ground up in a fast-paced startup environment.

## Basic Qualifications

- Education:
- Bachelor's degree (or higher) from an accredited university in Health Physics, Nuclear Engineering, a related physical science (e.g., Physics, Chemistry), or engineering.
- OR Equivalent education and/or extensive, progressive experience (e.g., 10+ years as a senior HPT/RPT or Naval ELT) as approved by the RPP Manager.
- OR Current certification by the American Board of Health Physics (CHP).
- Experience:
- 3-5 years of applied, professional experience in operational health physics.
- Demonstrated experience in at least two of the following: technical writing, dose assessment, ALARA planning, instrumentation, or training.
- Technical Knowledge
- Expert-level knowledge of 10 CFR 835 ("Occupational Radiation Protection") OR 10 CFR 20 ("Standards for Protection Against Radiation").
- Strong technical writing skills.
- Flexibility: Ability to relocate to Los Angeles temporarily for training, then to Utah for ongoing operations.

## Preferred Skills and Experience

- DOE/Reactor Experience: Experience at a DOE or NRC-licensed reactor facility or in the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program.
- Regulatory Familiarity: Knowledge of DOE-STD-1098 (Radiological Control) and transport regulations (49 CFR).

## What We Offer

- Competitive base salary
- Equity ownership in a rapidly growing advanced energy company
- Comprehensive medical benefits
- Free daily lunch provided on-site
- 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).

## 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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