Director of Mechanical Engineering Jobs
Director of Mechanical Engineering jobs are open across aerospace, industrial manufacturing, defense, automotive, and energy, from senior engineer to VP-level, with specializations in thermal systems, product development, and systems integration. Scan the live roles below and apply to whichever ones fit.
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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
The Numenor team is building Valar's next reactor, the flagship program that will define how we deliver nuclear power at scale. This dedicated team owns the entire plant, from the reactor core and helium systems to cooling, plant modules, and the Citadel, uniting mechanical, systems, safety, IC&E, quality, and supply chain under one mission. The work starts with bringing the first unit to life and ends with a production line that delivers reactors faster with every build. What this team builds will power the critical infrastructure of the future.
The Role
Valar Atomics seeks a Director, Mechanical for the reactor program. This role will build and lead the mechanical engineering organization for the reactor program, including the engineering managers and responsible engineers. The scope covers the mechanically dominated system included but not limited to the reactor, control rods, helium pressure boundary, helium services, HVAC and Citadel. The role will lead mechanical engineering from the first unit through scaled production, delivering reactor at an increasing rate.The role demands someone who can operate with hands-on technical authority and a hardware-first mentality, while maintaining the integrity, rigor and control required to ensure the design basis is met.
Key Responsibilities
Technical Leadership
- Own the mechanical design basis for the reactor, the primary helium loop, cavity cooling, helium services, plant modules, etc.
- Make the final technical call on design acceptability, margins, materials and code selection.
- Run design reviews and gate decisions from concept through design freeze.
Build, Test and Commissioning
- Take designs to hardware through procurement specifications, factory build, assembly and integrated testing.
- Set test and verification strategy with the V&V lead, and support commissioning through to first operation.
- Design for manufacture and repeatability, so each unit builds faster than the last.
Program and Team Leadership
- build, lead and mentor the mechanical organization of engineering managers and system REs.
- Manage scope, schedule and budget for mechanical within the reactor program
- Lead mechanical team structure and staffing as the program scales
- Work closely with systems engineering, safety, IC&E, quality and supply chain so the plant design stays integrated.
Basic Qualifications
- 10+ years of mechanical engineering on complex hardware, such as pressure systems, heat transfer equipment, mechanisms or large structures.
- Hands-on experience as the technical authority who signs off designs, sets margins and owns design decisions.
- Led mechanical scope on first-of-a-kind hardware from concept through build, test and commissioning.
- Strong base in stress analysis, thermal design, materials and pressure vessel and piping codes.
- Experience in managing mechanical engineering teams, including managers, and key vendor relationships across multiple project phases.
Preferred Skills and Experience
- Experience with high-temperature, high-pressure systems, such as pressure vessels, heat exchangers and piping.
- Hardware delivery: first-of-a-kind hardware taken from design through build and test, in aerospace, power generation, oil and gas, or defense.
- Helium or other gas systems, including sealing, leak tightness and rotating equipment.
- Precision mechanisms and actuators, plus the qualification testing that goes with them.
- Working knowledge of ASME pressure vessel and piping codes (Section VIII, B31.3).
- Design for manufacture and scaling from prototype to series production.
- Nuclear industry experience: commercial, defense or national laboratory. A plus, not a prerequisite.
- PE license (Mechanical): a plus.
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).
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
The Numenor team is building Valar's next reactor, the flagship program that will define how we deliver nuclear power at scale. This dedicated team owns the entire plant, from the reactor core and helium systems to cooling, plant modules, and the Citadel, uniting mechanical, systems, safety, IC&E, quality, and supply chain under one mission. The work starts with bringing the first unit to life and ends with a production line that delivers reactors faster with every build. What this team builds will power the critical infrastructure of the future.
The Role
Valar Atomics seeks a Director, Mechanical for the reactor program. This role will build and lead the mechanical engineering organization for the reactor program, including the engineering managers and responsible engineers. The scope covers the mechanically dominated system included but not limited to the reactor, control rods, helium pressure boundary, helium services, HVAC and Citadel. The role will lead mechanical engineering from the first unit through scaled production, delivering reactor at an increasing rate.The role demands someone who can operate with hands-on technical authority and a hardware-first mentality, while maintaining the integrity, rigor and control required to ensure the design basis is met.
Key Responsibilities
Technical Leadership
- Own the mechanical design basis for the reactor, the primary helium loop, cavity cooling, helium services, plant modules, etc.
- Make the final technical call on design acceptability, margins, materials and code selection.
- Run design reviews and gate decisions from concept through design freeze.
Build, Test and Commissioning
- Take designs to hardware through procurement specifications, factory build, assembly and integrated testing.
- Set test and verification strategy with the V&V lead, and support commissioning through to first operation.
- Design for manufacture and repeatability, so each unit builds faster than the last.
Program and Team Leadership
- build, lead and mentor the mechanical organization of engineering managers and system REs.
- Manage scope, schedule and budget for mechanical within the reactor program
- Lead mechanical team structure and staffing as the program scales
- Work closely with systems engineering, safety, IC&E, quality and supply chain so the plant design stays integrated.
Basic Qualifications
- 10+ years of mechanical engineering on complex hardware, such as pressure systems, heat transfer equipment, mechanisms or large structures.
- Hands-on experience as the technical authority who signs off designs, sets margins and owns design decisions.
- Led mechanical scope on first-of-a-kind hardware from concept through build, test and commissioning.
- Strong base in stress analysis, thermal design, materials and pressure vessel and piping codes.
- Experience in managing mechanical engineering teams, including managers, and key vendor relationships across multiple project phases.
Preferred Skills and Experience
- Experience with high-temperature, high-pressure systems, such as pressure vessels, heat exchangers and piping.
- Hardware delivery: first-of-a-kind hardware taken from design through build and test, in aerospace, power generation, oil and gas, or defense.
- Helium or other gas systems, including sealing, leak tightness and rotating equipment.
- Precision mechanisms and actuators, plus the qualification testing that goes with them.
- Working knowledge of ASME pressure vessel and piping codes (Section VIII, B31.3).
- Design for manufacture and scaling from prototype to series production.
- Nuclear industry experience: commercial, defense or national laboratory. A plus, not a prerequisite.
- PE license (Mechanical): a plus.
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).
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Find JobsDirector of Mechanical Engineering Job Market
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Construction & Real Estate
- Consulting & Professional Services
What Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in director of mechanical engineering jobs.
- Bachelor's or master's degree in mechanical engineering or a related discipline
- 10 or more years of mechanical engineering experience with at least 3 in a leadership role
- Proficiency in CAD tools such as SolidWorks, CATIA, or Creo
- Experience with design for manufacturability, GD&T, and tolerance analysis
- Proven ability to manage cross-functional teams through the full product development lifecycle
- Familiarity with industry standards such as ISO, ASME, or MIL-SPEC depending on sector
Tips for Your Director of Mechanical Engineering Job Search
Quantify your engineering leadership impact
Hiring managers for director roles want to see headcount managed, budget owned, and product milestones hit. Replace vague responsibilities with figures: team size, cost reductions achieved, or time-to-market improvements on programs you led.
Align your resume to the product domain
A director of mechanical engineering resume that led HVAC development reads differently from one in defense or medical devices. Tailor your summary and bullet points to match the industry vertical in each posting, using the same technical vocabulary the job description uses.
Apply early to roles that fit
Migrate Mate lists director of mechanical engineering openings from across the United States in one place, so you can find roles that match and apply directly to each listing.
Target postings by program phase
Some director roles own early-stage product development while others inherit mature production programs. Read each posting carefully for language like 'NPI,' 'sustaining engineering,' or 'platform development' to match your experience to the actual program stage.
Prepare a cross-functional leadership story
Interviewers at the director level probe how you work with manufacturing, supply chain, and program management, not just your technical depth. Prepare two or three specific examples where you resolved conflicts or drove alignment across those functions to hit a program milestone.
Negotiate total compensation, not just base
Director-level mechanical engineering offers typically include equity, signing bonuses, and relocation packages that vary widely by industry. Before accepting, ask for the full compensation breakdown in writing and compare each component against offers in the same sector and program type.
Director of Mechanical Engineering Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies are hiring the most director of mechanical engineerings?
MEADE ENGINEERING, Vestal Corporation, and Smith Miller Associates are hiring the most director of mechanical engineerings right now, with openings concentrated in Texas, Arizona, and Pennsylvania, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Demand is especially active in aerospace, defense, and industrial manufacturing sectors.
How many director of mechanical engineering jobs are remote?
About 0% of director of mechanical engineering openings are fully remote or hybrid as of November 2026, reflecting the hands-on nature of most mechanical engineering programs. Sub-areas with the highest remote share tend to be systems engineering oversight, standards development, and technical program management rather than roles tied to physical labs or manufacturing floors.
How do you become a director of mechanical engineering?
Most directors of mechanical engineering start with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and spend several years as an individual contributor before moving into engineering management. From there, the path typically runs through senior engineer, lead or principal engineer, and engineering manager roles, each building broader program ownership, team leadership, and cross-functional experience until a director-level opportunity opens.
Can you get a director of mechanical engineering job without prior director experience?
Yes, many companies promote strong engineering managers or senior principal engineers into director roles when they demonstrate the right combination of technical credibility and organizational leadership. To make that transition, focus on positioning any experience owning a full product program, leading a team through a major milestone, or representing engineering at the executive level, since those signal readiness even without a prior director title.
What does the director of mechanical engineering interview process look like?
The process typically starts with a recruiter screen followed by a technical phone interview focused on your engineering domain and past program experience. Later rounds usually include a panel with engineering, program management, and sometimes operations leaders, where you present a past project or leadership case study. Final rounds often involve a conversation with a VP or general manager assessing strategic fit and cross-functional communication style.
Where can I find and apply to director of mechanical engineering jobs?
You can find and apply to director of mechanical engineering jobs on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from companies across the United States. Search for roles that match your industry background and program experience, then apply directly to each listing that fits your profile.
See All 12 Director of Mechanical Engineering Jobs
Find roles that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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