Senior Manager, Supplier Quality

The posting, as Valar Atomics wrote it

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, Qua l i t y Assurance establishes the systems and standards that ensure products and processes consistently meet the highest levels of qua l i t y and compliance. The team promotes continuous improvement and operational excellence across the company.

The Role

As Senior Manager, Supplier Quality, you will build and lead the Supplier Quality organization responsible for ensuring Valar's external supply base delivers materials, components, special processes, and services that meet engineering, quality, and regulatory requirements as the company scales from prototype development to pilot operations and commercial deployment. This role reports to the Head of Quality with a dotted-line relationship to Procurement, preserving both operational integration and independence of oversight.

Valar is highly vertically integrated, but the supply base remains critical to mission success—spanning raw materials, fabricated components, machined hardware, special processes, calibration services, commercial equipment, and construction subcontractors. The challenge is not simply policing suppliers. It is building supplier capability, preventing escapes before they occur, and applying rigor through a risk-informed, graded approach that protects safety and quality without slowing execution.

You will lead and develop Supplier Quality Engineers, Supplier Auditors, Procurement Engineers, and Receiving Inspectors while owning supplier qualification, supplier development, supplier auditing, source and receiving inspection strategy, and the Procurement Engineering function. You will partner daily with Procurement, Engineering, Operations Quality, and Construction Quality to ensure technical and quality requirements are flowed down clearly, executed by suppliers, and verified with appropriate independence.

This is a founding leadership position within the Quality organization. You will operate hands-on today—qualifying suppliers, auditing facilities, dispositioning supplier nonconformances—while architecting the supplier quality systems, standards, and team required for high volume commercial-scale nuclear deployment.

Key Responsibilities

• Build, lead, and develop the Supplier Quality organization, including Supplier Quality Engineers, Supplier Auditors, Procurement Engineers, and R

[…]
or leading a Procurement Engineering function, including definition of technical procurement requirements, critical characteristics, and acceptance methods for procured items.

• Certified Lead Auditor (ISO 9001, AS9100, or equivalent) with experience leading supplier and third-party audits.
• Familiarity with NADCAP special process accreditation, source inspection programs, and construction subcontractor quality oversight.
• Experience with APQP/PPAP, first article inspection (AS9102 or equivalent), PFD, PFMEA, and process control plan review for supplier processes.
• Experience building supplier quality organizations, systems, and Approved Supplier List governance within scaling or startup environments.
• Familiarity with supplier performance analytics, scorecard systems, and data-driven supplier risk management.

What We Offer

• 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

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).
Salary
$190,000 — $240,000 USD