Hardware Engineer IV

NES Fircroft; North Carolina; On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

NES Fircroft is seeking an experienced Senior / Lead Nuclear Digital I&C IV&V Engineer to join a high-performing team supporting advanced nuclear I&C systems. You will independently lead verification and validation across digital control systems, embedded hardware, and safety-related applications, owning the requirements-to-evidence lifecycle and developing testing strategies.

You will develop V&V requirements, test plans, procedures, and traceability matrices, execute FAT and regression

Qualifications

• Minimum 8 years in testing, verification and validation, systems engineering, nuclear I&C, or related fields.
• Minimum 5 years developing and executing test plans and verification evidence.
• Minimum 3 years with digital I&C, embedded systems or complex control systems.
• Proven experience with requirements analysis and traceability.
• Ability to review specifications, design packages, interfaces, and release documentation.
• Experience evaluating test results and resolving technical issues.
• Strong technical writing and reporting skills.
• Experience working within QA and configuration management processes.
• Ability to work independently with proper escalation when needed.

Responsibilities

• Independently perform verification and validation for nuclear digital I&C systems.
• Analyze system requirements, design docs, interfaces and verification evidence.
• Develop V&V requirements, test plans, procedures and traceability matrices.
• Execute FAT, regression, and component testing; witness and evaluate results.
• Assess test results, document findings, and support issue resolution.
• Review software/firmware/FPGA release documentation as part of verification.
• Lead design reviews, technical reviews, and baseline reviews.
• Support FMEA, hazard analyses, cybersecurity, and safety analyses.
• Develop simulators, test tools, and manufacturing test processes.
• Ensure compliance with nuclear standards and lifecycle processes.
• Lead or support customer-facing FAT activities and communicate results.
• Contribute to planning, scheduling, proposals, and resource planning.
• Mentor junior engineers and provide multidisciplinary technical leadership.

Skills

Requirements-based testing

IV&V

Test planning

Procedure development

Testing (FAT/APT)

Digital I&C systems

Embedded control systems

Technical communication

QA & configuration mgmt

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering

Bachelor's degree in Nuclear Engineering

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Bachelor's degree in Systems Engineering

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science

Tools

LabVIEW

ATS200

Automated test equipment

Test simulators

Manufacturing test systems

FPGA/PLD verification

Job description

We are seeking an experienced Senior / Lead Nuclear Digital I&C IV&V Engineer to join a high-performing engineering team supporting advanced nuclear instrumentation and control (I&C) systems.

This role is ideal for a technically strong engineer who can independently lead verification and validation (V&V) activities across complex digital control systems, embedded systems, software-controlled hardware, and nuclear safety-related applications. The successful candidate will own the requirements-to-evidence verification lifecycle, developing testing strategies, defining verification approaches, executing system-level testing, evaluating results, and providing technical leadership throughout the product development process.

This is not a procedure-only testing position. The individual in this role must determine what needs to be tested, how it should be tested, what objective evidence is required, and when technical issues require escalation.

Key Responsibilities

• Independently perform verification and validation activities for nuclear digital I&C systems.
• Analyze system requirements, design documentation, interfaces, and verification evidence.
• Develop V&V requirements, test plans, test procedures, traceability matrices, reports, and supporting test documentation.
• Execute, witness, and evaluate component, subsystem, system, Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT), and regression testing.
• Assess test results, identify anomalies, document findings, and support technical issue resolution.
• Review software, firmware, FPGA/PLD, embedded systems, and release documentation as part of the verification process.
• Participate in design reviews, technical reviews, and baseline reviews across engineering disciplines.
• Support FMEA, hazard analyses, cybersecurity assessments, safety analyses, security evaluations, and requirements traceability activities.
• Develop and evaluate simulators, automated test equipment, test tools, and manufacturing test processes.
• Ensure compliance with nuclear industry standards and internal system/software lifecycle processes.
• Support corrective action programs and resolution of conditions adverse to quality.
• Lead or support customer-facing FAT activities, including issue management, test execution, and communication of results.
• Contribute to project planning, scheduling, proposal development, resource planning, and execution strategies.
• Mentor junior engineers and provide technical leadership across multidisciplinary teams.
• Collaborate with systems, software, hardware, FPGA, quality, manufacturing, project management, suppliers, customers, and laboratory personnel.

Required Qualifications

Education Bachelor's degree in one of the following disciplines or a related technical field:

• Electrical Engineering
• Computer Engineering
• Nuclear Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Systems Engineering
• Computer Science

Experience

• Minimum 8 years of engineering experience in testing, verification and validation, systems engineering, digital controls, embedded systems, nuclear I&C, or related disciplines.
• Minimum 5 years developing, executing, and evaluating test plans, procedures, reports, and requirements-based verification evidence.
• Minimum 3 years working with digital I&C systems, embedded systems, software-controlled hardware, or complex control systems.
• Proven experience with requirements analysis and requirements-to-test traceability.
• Demonstrated ability to review technical specifications, design packages, interface documents, and release documentation.
• Experience evaluating test results, identifying anomalies, and supporting technical issue resolution.
• Strong technical writing and reporting skills.
• Ability to work within formal quality assurance and configuration management processes.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently while appropriately escalating technical, quality, schedule, or configuration concerns.

Required Technical Skills

• Requirements-based testing and traceability
• Independent Verification & Validation (IV&V)
• Test planning, procedure development, and reporting
• Component, subsystem, system, FAT, and regression testing
• Digital I&C systems and embedded control systems
• Software-controlled hardware verification
• Design reviews and interface analysis
• Technical review and comment resolution
• Change impact assessments and regression planning
• Anomaly identification and technical documentation
• Corrective action and quality issue support
• Configuration management and test environment control
• Customer-facing technical communication

Preferred Qualifications

The ideal candidate will bring one or more of the following:

• 10+ years of experience in nuclear I&C, digital controls, embedded systems, IV&V, FAT, or safety-related system testing.
• Experience with nuclear I&C platforms such as NUMAC, RCMS, RC&IS, PRNM, ATIP, DSS-CD, SRNM, WRNM, or similar systems.
• Previous experience as a:
  • System IV&V Engineer
  • Responsible Engineer
  • Lead Test Engineer
  • FAT Lead
• Experience supporting nuclear power plants, modifications, commissioning activities, or supplier product delivery.
• FPGA/PLD verification and testing experience.
• Knowledge of embedded processor technologies including Intel, ARM, DSP, and microcontroller platforms.
• PCB-level design review and hardware troubleshooting experience.
• Experience with LabVIEW, ATS200, automated test equipment, test simulators, and manufacturing test systems.
• Familiarity with:
  • FMEA and hazard analyses
  • Cybersecurity vulnerability assessments
  • Safety and security analyses
  • Requirements traceability methodologies
• Knowledge of industry standards including IEEE, IEC, EPRI, NRC, CNSC, and related nuclear regulatory guidance.
• Experience supporting proposals, bids, resource planning, and project scheduling.
• Demonstrated success mentoring engineers and supporting technical onboarding programs.
• Experience with corrective action programs, root cause investigations, and quality issue resolution.
• Prior nuclear site experience as a reactor operator, I&C technician, system engineer, commissioning engineer, startup engineer, or maintenance engineer.
• Experience working for a nuclear supplier providing safety-related digital control systems.

With over 90 years' combined experience, NES Fircroft (NES) is proud to be the world's leading engineering staffing provider spanning the Oil & Gas, Power & Renewables, Chemicals, Construction & Infrastructure, Life Sciences, Mining andManufacturingsectors worldwide. With more than 80 offices in 45 countries, we are able to provide our clients with the engineering and technical expertise they need, wherever and whenever it is needed. We offer contractors far more than a traditional recruitment service, supporting with everything from securing visas and work permits, to providing market-leading benefits packages and accommodation, ensuring they are safely and compliantly able to support our clients.