Senior Mechanical Maintenance Lead

About the role

The Senior Mechanical / Maintenance Lead is the technical authority for all mechanical systems and maintenance programs at the Valar Atomics TRISO Fuel Facility. This senior individual contributor and team lead role is responsible for developing and owning the facility maintenance program, leading a team of maintenance technicians, driving equipment reliability, and ensuring full compliance with OSHA, DOE, and NRC regulatory requirements. The role spans both hands-on technical problem-solving and strategic program management, including overhaul planning, procedure authorship, spare-parts strategy, and interface with engineering and operations leadership.

Responsibilities

• Own the facility Maintenance Program; develop, approve, and maintain all maintenance procedures and work instructions.
• Lead, mentor, and schedule a team of maintenance technicians; assign work orders, verify task completion, and conduct performance reviews.
• Serve as the facility Mechanical Authority: review and approve engineering change packages, maintenance work requests, and modifications to safety components.
• Plan and execute maintenance shutdowns across all process areas.
• Develop and manage the Preventive Maintenance (PM) program; set frequencies, task lists, and acceptance criteria for all plant equipment.
• Drive a reliability improvement program: analyze failure history, identify root causes using RCA methodology, and implement corrective actions to eliminate repeat failures.
• Manage the critical spare-parts strategy; identify critical spares (heating elements, pyrometers, reactor tubes, seals), maintain inventory levels, and control the stores budget.
• Own the instrument calibration program; ensure all instruments are calibrated on schedule, records are complete, and calibration certificates are issued per equipment data sheets.
• Interface with equipment OEMs and vendors; negotiate service agreements, manage warranty claims, and coordinate specialist contractor access during shutdowns.
• Support the commissioning team during cold and hot commissioning phases; develop commissioning maintenance procedures and oversee acceptance testing of mechanical systems.
• Collaborate with the Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety teams to plan and clear work in radiologically controlled areas; enforce ALARA principles across all maintenance activities.
• Maintain configuration management discipline: ensure as-built records, P&IDs, and maintenance manuals are updated following all plant modifications.
• Provide technical input to the safety assessments and readiness review processes; prepare the Maintenance Program description for regulatory submittals.
• Report maintenance KPIs (PM compliance, corrective work order backlog, equipment availability) to operations leadership on a monthly basis.
• You Will Be Successful in This Role If
• Maintains a PM compliance rate ≥ 95 % and a corrective work order backlog below defined thresholds.
• Delivers the maintenance repairs on schedule and within approved budget.
• Partners seamlessly with Operations, QA, Radiological Safety, and Engineering to plan, clear, and close all maintenance work.
• Balances long-term program development with urgent corrective response without compromising safety or quality.
• Takes full ownership of plant mechanical health; proactively identifies systemic risks and drives solutions before failures occur.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related discipline; or Associate degree with equivalent senior-level trade experience.
• 8+ years of industrial maintenance experience, with at least 3 years in a lead or supervisory role in a nuclear, chemical process, or advanced manufacturing facility.
• Demonstrated experience developing and managing a formal Preventive Maintenance program within a CMMS (e.g., Maximo, SAP PM).
• Deep mechanical engineering competency: rotating equipment, high-temperature furnaces, gas systems, pumps, valves, heat exchangers, and structural integrity assessment.
• Proficient in reading and authoring P&IDs, instrument loop diagrams, mechanical general arrangement drawings, and maintenance procedures.
• Experience with DOE or NRC regulated facilities.
• Proven leadership: experience managing, mentoring, and scheduling a team of maintenance technicians.
• Must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. person eligibl

Benefits

Additional Information

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.

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