Back to jobs
New

Fire Protection Engineer

Hawthorne

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 Role
 
The Fire Protection Engineer owns the technical adequacy of the Ward250 Fire Protection Program and its integration into the facility safety basis. This is the FPE of record for the project as defined by DOE-STD-1066-2023, responsible for the Fire Hazards Analysis, fire protection design review, code compliance, program implementation, and interface with DOE as the Safety Basis Approval Authority on fire protection matters. The position reports to the Ward250 Safety Basis Manager.
 
Ward250 is a DOE Hazard Category 2 high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (250 kWth, TRISO fuel, helium coolant) on a 12-month operational mission plus 6-month decommissioning. The facility uses passive safety systems for shutdown and decay heat removal, a hybrid construction approach (Type I fire-resistant interiors within a Type IIB Sprung membrane envelope), clean agent suppression in equipment areas, and no water-based suppression in the Reactor Hall. Emergency fire response relies on a tiered model with Emery County Fire Department as the structural firefighting resource under MOU.
 
Key Responsibilities
  • Fire Hazards Analysis. Maintain, and defend the facility FHA per NE O 420.1 and DOE-STD-1066-2023. Define fire areas, evaluate fire scenarios and Maximum Possible Fire Loss, and establish fire protection requirements for each area. 
  • Code Compliance. Maintain compliance with the project code of record: NFPA 10, 70, 72, 101, 110, 111, 801, and 2001; ANSI/ANS 15.17; DOE-STD-1066-2023; and Utah Building Code 2021 / IBC 2021. Develop technical justifications for any equivalencies or exemptions, manage AHJ interactions, and maintain records for periodic reevaluation.
  • Fire Protection Program. Maintain the documented Fire Protection Program IAW NE O 420.1, Attachment 2, Chapter II. Scope includes combustible material controls, hot-work permits, fire protection system impairment tracking, inspection/testing/maintenance schedules, Baseline Needs Assessment, and integration with the Physical Security Plan.
  • Emergency Response Coordination. Support the tiered emergency response strategy including pre-incident planning with Emery County Fire and EMS. Develop firefighting procedures addressing facility-specific constraints — helium atmosphere, radioactive materials, and restrictions on neutron-moderating materials reviewed by the criticality safety SME.
  • Safe Shutdown Analysis Support. Verify and maintain the fire-effects-on-safe-shutdown analysis demonstrating that the reactor achieves and maintains safe shutdown under all credible fire conditions, crediting inherent fuel characteristics, passive decay heat removal, and gravity-driven reactor trip.
  • Decommissioning. Advise on fire protection requirements during D&D, particularly continued fire detection coverage during hot work operations through Phase 3 site clearance.
Basic Qualifications

Candidates must meet the DOE-STD-1066-2023 definition of Fire Protection Engineer. Specifically:

  • Degree in fire protection engineering from an ABET-accredited program, or PE license in fire protection engineering
  • Demonstrated experience preparing or technically reviewing Fire Hazards Analyses for DOE Hazard Category 2 or 3 nuclear facilities
  • Working knowledge of NE O 420.1 fire protection requirements and DOE-STD-1066-2023 implementation methodology
  • Experience with NFPA 801 (facilities handling radioactive materials) and NFPA 2001 (clean agent systems)
  • Familiarity with DOE safety basis processes — DSA development, TSR derivation, and SBAA review
  • Experience developing or implementing documented fire protection programs at DOE nuclear facilities
  • Ability to obtain and maintain DOE site access
Preferred Qualifications
  • Experience with reactor facilities, particularly gas-cooled or research reactor designs
  • Experience defending non-standard fire protection strategies (hybrid construction, suppression exclusion zones) to DOE reviewers
  • Familiarity with DOE-STD-3009-2014 and DOE-STD-1237-2021 DSA methodologies
  • Baseline Needs Assessment development per NE O 420.1
  • Coordination with local AHJs and offsite emergency responders in rural or remote settings
  • Knowledge of ANSI/ANS 15.17 (Fire Protection Program Criteria for Research Reactors)

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.

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

Apply for this job

*

indicates a required field

Resume/CV*

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Cover Letter

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Select...
Select...
Select...

To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in Valar Atomics’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Select...
Select...
Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305
Page 1 of 1
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 04/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury
Select...

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.