Director of Licensing

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 Regulations & Safety organization, Regulatory & Licensing manages engagement with regulatory authorities and supports licensing activities for Valar's technologies and facilities. The team ensures regulatory compliance while advancing strategic business objectives.  

The Role 

The Director of Licensing leads the corporate licensing function across all of Valar Atomics' facilities and projects. The Director sets regulatory strategy, builds and leads the licensing organization, owns the licensing processes and infrastructure, and serves as the senior company interface with regulators across DOE and NRC engagement pathways. The Director allocates licensing resources across multiple concurrent licensing campaigns while maintaining the licensing bases of operating facilities. 

Key Responsibilities 

• Establish and lead the licensing organization: staffing, role definition, workload allocation across concurrent projects, and development of licensing engineers and project leads.
• Set the regulatory strategy for each facility and project, including selection and sequencing of authorization and licensing pathways and preservation of pathway options.
• Own the licensing function's processes and infrastructure: intake and triage workflows, review and active-approval processes, comment and commitment tracking, document production standards, and knowledge management.
• Serve as the senior company point of contact with regulator leadership; negotiate review paths, schedules, and engagement protocols before reviews begin.
• Oversee maintenance of the licensing bases for operating facilities, including change control and amendment strategy.
• Approve regulatory submittals and ensure they are complete, accurate, and consistent with licensing strategy and commitments.
• Ensure program owners receive the regulatory briefings, compliance matrices, templates, and guardrails needed to develop compliant programs without duplication.
• Establish metrics and drive continuous improvement in licensing efficiency, rigor, and rework avoidance.
• Develop and manage the licensing budget; select and manage supporting contractors and consultants.