Director, Licensing

The role

The Director of Licensing leads the corporate licensing function across all facilities and projects. This person sets regulatory strategy, builds the licensing organization, and serves as the senior interface with DOE and NRC regulators.

What you will do

• Establish and lead the licensing organization including staffing and workload allocation
• Set the regulatory strategy for each facility and project
• Own the licensing function's processes and infrastructure
• Serve as the senior company point of contact with regulator leadership
• Oversee maintenance of the licensing bases for operating facilities
• Approve regulatory submittals
• Ensure program owners receive regulatory briefings, compliance matrices, templates, and guardrails
• Establish metrics and drive continuous improvement in licensing efficiency
• Develop and manage the licensing budget
• Select and manage supporting contractors and consultants

Required qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering or a related science field
• Fifteen (15) or more years of nuclear licensing and regulatory affairs experience, or related experience, including leadership of licensing teams and direct interaction with regulators
• Demonstrated experience developing and submitting major license applications or safety basis documents and managing regulator reviews to approval

Nice to have

• Advanced degree in engineering, science, or a related field
• Experience across both DOE authorization and NRC licensing frameworks
• Advanced reactor, research reactor, or first-of-a-kind technology licensing experience
• Experience building teams and processes in a startup or rapid-growth environment

Benefits

• 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

Before you apply

• Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States as a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident (green card holder)

About the company

Valar Atomics aims to make clean, high-temperature nuclear power scalable. The company is a team of builders, engineers, and operators focused on deploying factory-made nuclear energy.