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 Business organization, Legal provides strategic legal guidance that enables innovation while protecting the company's interests. The team manages contracts, corporate governance, intellectual property, regulatory matters, and legal risk across the organization.
The Role
Valar Atomics is looking for a Government Contracts & Regulatory Counsel to build the regulatory side of our legal function from the ground up. Reporting directly to the General Counsel, you’ll own the frameworks that let us move fast with government: export controls that govern who can see our technology, agreements with federal, state, and local agencies, land access and permitting, public records, foreign ownership matters, and the compliance foundation regulators and partners need to trust us. Advanced nuclear doesn’t move without this work, and you’ll be the one designing it.
This is a builder’s role, not a maintainer’s. We’re looking for someone who has thrived in fast-paced startup environments, takes ownership without waiting to be asked, and is energized by creating policies and programs where none exist yet. Just as important, you’ll be commercial and versatile: while regulatory work is your focus, you’ll also jump in on commercial vendor agreements, supplier contracts, and whatever else the business needs. You’ll work side by side with engineers and executives, have real influence on how we operate, and have a front-row seat as we move from a pilot plant in Utah to commercial deployment.
Key Responsibilities
· Lead export control compliance, including 10 CFR Part 810, the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR); advise on technology classification, deemed exports, foreign national access, and authorization requirements.
· Draft, negotiate, and manage agreements with federal, state, and local government entities, including Other Transaction Agreements, cooperative agreements, procurement contracts, and site and land-use agreements, and manage associated flow-down and compliance obligations.
· Prepare and coordinate regulatory comment letters and other submissions to agencies on proposed rules, guidance, and policy developments affecting advanced nuclear, fuel, and energy infrastructure.
· Manage responses to and from public records requests under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), Utah’s Government Records Access and Management Act (GRAMA), and similar state laws, including protecting confidential business information in government submissions.
· Build compliance policies, procedures, training, and infrastructure from scratch, scaling them as the company grows from pilot operations to commercial deployment.
· Design and operate trade compliance programs, including technology control plans, restricted-party screening, recordkeeping, and import/export controls for equipment, materials, and technical data.
· Support land access and permitting across federal and state agencies, including the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration (SITLA), and environmental and siting authorities, coordinating with project and engineering teams on NEPA and related requirements.
· Manage foreign ownership, control, or influence (FOCI) matters, including assessing investor and partner structures, implementing…