Senior Corporate Recruiter at Valar Atomics in Torrance, CA

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, People and Talent attracts, develops, and supports the exceptional individuals who drive Valar's success. The team partners across the company to build a high-performing organization through recruiting, employee development, engagement, and people operations.

The Role

We're seeking a Senior Corporate Recruiter to lead full-cycle hiring across all our business functions. This role is central to our ability to build a world-class team—you'll partner directly with hiring managers, shape hiring strategies, and identify exceptional talent in highly competitive and specialized markets. Each of these teams require unique strategies: identifying a cost accountant who can stand up standard costing for reactor manufacturing, a licensing specialist fluent in 10 CFR, a legal operations lead who knows DOE Part 810. Each is a thin market, and each search needs a recruiter who can learn the domain well enough to tell a strong candidate from a plausible one The right person operates with urgency, ownership, and a high bar for talent, helping us scale quickly without compromising quality. This is a fully on-site role based at our Torrance, CA headquarters.

Key Responsibilities

• Own full-cycle recruiting across Finance, Accounting, Regulatory and Licensing, IT, Commercial & External Affairs, Facilities, Security, and Marketing — from search kickoff through signed offer.
• Become the market expert for each function you support; map the talent landscape, name the companies and career paths that produce strong candidates, and bring that intelligence to leaders defining a role for the first time.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to executives and hiring managers, converting vague needs into sharp role definitions, interview plans, and hiring criteria before a req opens.
• Source passive candidates directly; build and run outbound campaigns rather than waiting on inbound applications for scarce regulated-industry profiles.
• Screen for substance over credential, probing actual scope, decisions owned, and systems built so hiring managers interview a short list of real contenders.
• Negotiate and close senior candidates against competing offers, navigating relocation to Orangeville, Utah and Torrance, California.
• Build the corporate recruiting playbook as you go: scorecards, interview loops, calibration standards, and sourcing channels that the next recruiter inherits.
• Keep a no-job-too-small posture — host onsites, chase references, and run the search yourself when that is what moves a critical hire.

Basic Qualifications

• 5+ years of full-cycle recruiting experience hiring for corporate and G&A functions such as finance, accounting, legal, supply chain, or operations for niche applications.
• Track record closing senior and hard-to-fill roles in competitive markets, including offers against counteroffers.
• Demonstrated ability to source passive candidates directly rather than relying on inbound applicant flow.
• Ability to assess candidates beyond the resume and defend a hiring recommendation to an executive.
• Experience partnering with senior stakeholders who have never written a job description or run a hiring loop.
• Ability to run multiple concurrent searches across unrelated functions without losing momentum on any of them.
• High level of ownership, accountability, and follow-through on every candidate touchpoint.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Experience recruiting in nuclear, energy, aerospace, defense, or regulated manufacturing environments.
• Familiarity with hiring for regulatory, licensing, quality assurance, or compliance functions.
• Experience hiring in a company scaling past 300 employees, and in markets outside major metros.
• Experience building recruiting processes, scorecards, or sourcing channels where none existed.
• Exposure to executive search or leadership hiring.

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).