Engineer I&C

General Atomics; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 98,000 - 171,000; Full time

Job summary

General Atomics is seeking an Instrumentation and Control engineer to support the DIII-D program in San Diego, applying innovative approaches to design, deploy, and upgrade I&C systems across plant operations. The role emphasizes reliable automation, safety compliance, and collaboration with scientists and engineers.

The ideal candidate will have strong electrical engineering fundamentals, PLC/SCADA experience, and proficiency in CAD/PCB tools, with a track record in communication and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering or related technical discipline with progressive engineering experience.
• Experience with industrial electronics, relays, transformers, sensors, and systems.
• Ability to generate clear technical reports, presentations, and work orders.

Responsibilities

• Comply with safety standards including LOTO and confined space requirements.
• Manage PLC/SCADA systems, industrial electronics, and control systems.
• Deploy, troubleshoot sensors, DAQ, and signal conditioning.
• Assist in improving SCADA reliability, efficiency, and automation performance.
• Support scientists and engineers in data collection and interpretation.
• Design and modify analog/digital circuits and PCB layouts.

Skills

Electrical engineering fundamentals

PLC/HMI programming

C/C++/Python programming

LabVIEW experience

Strong communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Master's or PhD in engineering

Tools

Altium

OrCAD

SolidWorks

SolidWorks Electrical

Job description

Job Summary

General Atomics (GA), and its affiliated companies, is one of the world’s leading resources for high-technology systems development ranging from the nuclear fuel cycle to remotely piloted aircraft, airborne sensors, and advanced electric, electronic, wireless and laser technologies.

General Atomics (GA), and its affiliated companies, is one of the world’s leading resources for high-technology systems development ranging from the nuclear fuel cycle to remotely piloted aircraft, airborne sensors, and advanced electric, electronic, wireless and laser technologies. The DIII-D National Fusion Facility is the flagship for fusion research in the United States, serving as one of the most flexible and well diagnosed facilities in the world for conducting critical plasma science and technology research that closes gaps on fusion energy. We currently have an exciting opportunity for an Instrumentation and Control (I & C) engineer to work within our Operations Group in support of the DIII-D program in San Diego, CA. This position will apply innovative approaches in deploying, designing and upgrading, the instrumentation and controls associated with the DIII-D tokomak and ancillary systems.

Under direct supervision, the I & C Engineer shall be responsible for overseeing the design, installation, maintenance, and optimization of the I & C systems across plant operations.

This role ensures reliable automation, process control, and compliance with safety and regulatory standards.

Duties And Responsibilities

• Comply with facility safety standards including, but not limited to, lockout tag out (LOTO) and confined space entry requirements.
• Manage plant instrumentation for Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs), Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems, industrial electronics, and various other, control systems.
• Deploy, troubleshoot and/or repair sensors, data acquisition (DAQ) devices and signal conditioning systems.
• Under the guidance of senior engineers, aid in improving SCADA system reliability, process efficiency, and automation performance.
• Support scientists and senior engineers in collecting and interpreting experimental data.
• Perform laboratory experiments using typical electrical engineering equipment such as multi-meters, oscilloscopes, function/arbitrary waveform generators, logic analyzers, spectrum analyzers, and/or solid state and analog power supplies.
• Design new analog and digital circuits or modify existing circuits to meet specific program requirements.
• Read and interpret electrical and electronic schematic diagrams.
• Update analog and/or digital printed circuit board (PCB) designs containing obsolete components by selecting and substituting suitable replacement components.
• Test and troubleshoot analog and/or digital PCBs and systems
• Update PCB designs to accommodate new components and/or improved functionality.
• Coordinate the fabrication and assembly of PCBs using in-house resources and/or outside vendors
• Test, troubleshoot, repair and/or upgrade industrial electronic systems including relay banks, interlocks, crash button chains, and voice and/or lighting notification systems.
• Develop and provide technical reports and presentations for design reviews, team meetings, and when required to meet project goals or requirements.
• Author detailed work orders, work authorizations and/or test plans for the completion of tasks by technicians and/or junior engineers.
• Develop Statements of Work (SOW) and/or formal justifications for the procurement of equipment and/or contractor related services including, but not limited to, electrical installations, and/or fiber optic work.
• Where documentation is insufficient or nonexistent, develop new documentation for mothballed and/or abandoned or legacy equipment or projects by researching the existing connections, components, and associated datasheets.
• Maintain, develop, and assist in publishing documentation for instrumentation and control systems including PCBs, interlock systems, PLC cabinets, and cable routing or other systems.
• Work independently and/or in a small teams, leading some projects or objectives while supporting engineers, scientists and business development on other projects as needed.
• Support continuous improvement by suggesting process enhancements and participating in problem-solving activities.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

We recognize and appreciate the value and contributions of individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences and welcome all qualified individuals to apply.

Job Qualifications

• Typically requires a bachelors degree, masters degree or PhD in engineering or a related technical discipline from an accredited institution and progressive engineering experience as follows; six or more years of experience with a bachelors degree, four or more years of experience with a masters degree, or two or more years with a PhD. May substitute equivalent engineering experience in lieu of education.
• Preferred engineering disciplines include Electrical and Industrial Engineering.
• Level of experience and education must demonstrate a solid understanding of electrical engineering concepts in an industrial setting, such as power, grounding, analog/digital circuitry, serial & databus architectures, etc., and must possess the ability to expand knowledge of related concepts, theories, and practices while ensuring safety and regulatory compliance.
• Demonstrated knowledge concerning the implementation, troubleshooting and repair of industrial electronics to include items such as relays, contactors, transformers, thermocouples, flow switches, level sensors, etc. is desirable.
• Experience must demonstrated strong communications skills including the ability to generate clear concise technical reports, presentations, work orders, work authorizations, and/or messages employing tools such as Microsoft Office (Word, Outlook, Power Point, and/or Excel).
• Must possess the ability to understand new concepts quickly and apply them accurately in an evolving environment and organize work assignments to meet established timetables.
• Demonstrated strong interpersonal skills are required, including the ability to work both independently and as part of a team as well as the ability to receive and disseminate information and instruction.
• Strong understanding of computer science concepts, principles, and theory is highly desirable.
• Some experience with microcontrollers and the associated programming language is highly desirable.
• An understanding of PLC and HMI application development along with IEC 61131 adherent controllers and programming environments is desirable. A working knowledge of Proficy Machine Edition, PAC Machine Edition, Siemens Step 7, and/or Fastrak 505 Workshop is highly desirable.
• Experience with C, C++ and/or Python programming is desirable.
• Experience with LabVIEW is desirable.
• Experience with Computer-Aided Design (CAD) packages is desirable. Experience with Altium, OrCAD, SolidWorks, SolidWorks Electrical, or other electrical drafting/CAD package is a plus.
• A good understanding of electrical control panels, and the NFPA, NEC, and UL 508 standards is desirable
• Knowledge of Field Programmable Gate Array (“FPGA”) design, programming and implementation is desirable.
• Knowledge of Complex Programmable Logic Devices (CPLDs) and their programming in Xilinx ISE 14.7 via JTAG is desirable.
• Experience with controllers and Proportional Integral Derivative (“PID”) control loops is a plus.
• Knowledge of and experience with serial communication (RS-232, RS-485) is desirable.
• Knowledge of and experience with computer networks, Ethernet, and TCP/IP is desirable.
• Familiarity generating and reading engineering drawings, as well as producing Bills of Materials (BOMs) in a research and/or university setting is desirable.
• Experience in the rapid prototyping of printed circuit boards on a CNC circuit board router (LPKF or similar) is highly desirable.
• Some knowledge of high voltage systems is desirable to include a general understanding of the safety requirements and electric fields produced.
• Familiarity with electronic circuit simulation in SPICE, PSPICE and/or LT Spice is a plus.
• Familiarity with MathCAD or other computational software is a plus.
• Working knowledge of electronic circuit design, hardware design and the assembly of PCB’s is preferred.

Job Type: Full-Time Salary

Salary range: 98,100 - 171,398