Instrumentation and Control Engineering Postdoctoral Research Associate

Search Jobs - INL Professional Careers; Idaho Falls (ID); On-site; USD 95,000 - 116,000; Full time

Job summary

Idaho National Laboratory (INL) invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Instrumentation and Control Engineering within the Department of Plant Optimization at the Idaho Falls facility.

The role emphasizes applying digital technologies to the nuclear power sector, with a 9 x 80 schedule and every other Friday off. You will contribute to R&D, manuscript writing, and conference presentations while working with an interdisciplinary team.

Qualifications

• PhD in Electrical, Mechanical, or Nuclear Engineering completed by appointment.
• Demonstrated English communication skills (oral and written).
• Experience with digital I&C systems, PLCs, DCS, embedded devices, and industrial networks.

Responsibilities

• Publish scientific manuscripts and milestone reports; present findings at conferences.
• Collaborate with project managers and investigators to advance R&D goals.
• Develop and evaluate digital I&C hardware/software testbeds and architectures.

Skills

Python

C/C++

MATLAB/Simulink

LabVIEW

Education

PhD in Electrical, Mechanical, or Nuclear Engineering

Job description

Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is hiring a well-qualified Postdoctoral Research Associate in Instrumentation and Control Engineering for the Department of Plant Optimization. This postdoctoral researcher will support INL’s research and development (R&D) activities directed at introducing digital technologies (e.g., instrumentation, control, superintelligence, machine learning, and robotics) for use in the commercial nuclear power sector, facilitating the transformation from highly labor-intensive to a human-led, digital/automation-centric approach to plant operation and maintenance. Our team works a 9 x 80 schedule located out of Idaho Falls facility with every other Friday off.

This position requires a proactive and creative individual capable of contributing to our interdisciplinary R&D team, both independently and collaboratively. The candidate should be adept at efficiently completing tasks as directed by project managers, principal investigators, and other team members. An excellent postdoctoral researcher will bring fresh insights that help our team propose innovative ideas, overcome challenges, and enhance the impact of our work. The position also entails writing scientific manuscripts for journal publication and milestone reports and presenting research findings at conferences and meetings.

Required:

• PhD in Electrical, Mechanical, or Nuclear Engineering or comparable disciplines
• PhD requirements must be completed by commencement of appointment and within the previous 5 years
• Demonstrated oral and published written communication skills in English
• Experience in one or more of the following areas:
  • Design, analysis, modification, or evaluation of digital I&C systems
  • Programmable logic controllers, distributed control systems, field-programmable gate arrays, embedded digital devices, and industrial communication network
  • Development of experimental testbeds, including integrating digital hardware and software
  • Digital system architectures, including redundancy, independence, separation, defense-in-depth, diversity, and failure-mode analysis
  • Proficiency in one or more programming or engineering-analysis languages and tools, such as Python, C/C++, MATLAB/Simulink, and LabVIEW.

The ideal candidate will possess:

• Experience in one or more of the following areas:
  • Software or system development life-cycle activities, including requirements development, design, implementation, integration, verification, validation, and testing
  • Evaluation of software, firmware, communication systems, and digital system reliability and cybersecurity
  • Safety-related or important-to-safety digital systems used in nuclear power plants, research reactors, or other safety-critical facilities
  • Superintelligence and machine learning, including large language models
  • Robotics and computer vision, including vision language models

Physical Requirements:

While performing the duties of this classification, the employee is frequently required to stand, walk, sit, stoop, kneel, bend, and work in an office and field environment, which may include construction sites. The job requires hand/finger dexterity to keyboard or type, handle materials, manipulate tools, and reach with hands and arms. The job requires operation of job‑related equipment and driving a vehicle. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 30 pounds. Sufficient visual acuity and hearing capacity to perform the essential functions and interact with the public is required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Job Information:

• The pay for this position is $105,144.00 Annually. At Idaho National Laboratory compensation decisions are determined using factors such as education, relevant experience, and other credentials.