Nuclear Engineer III OR Senior Nuclear Engineer - Instrumentation & Control Design

Duke Energy Corporation; Seneca (SC); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Duke Energy Corporation is seeking a Senior Nuclear Engineer to join the Instrumentation & Control Design Engineering team at the Oconee Nuclear Station. You will advance complex engineering work from concept through installation, testing, turnover, and closeout, while guiding junior engineers and coordinating with operations, maintenance, and external partners.

The role emphasizes nuclear safety culture, rigorous design authority, and the ability to manage multiple projects with minimal

Qualifications

• 1 year of nuclear power plant experience
• Bachelor of Science in Engineering from an ABET accredited program
• A Master's degree in engineering will be considered in lieu of the B.S. degree
• Minimum of 4 years of engineering experience
• 1 year of nuclear power plant experience (Senior candidate)
• Bachelor of Science in Engineering from an ABET accredited program or PE registration
• A Master's degree in engineering will be considered in lieu of the B.S. degree
• Minimum of 6 years of engineering experience or 5 years with PE

Responsibilities

• Provide engineering and technical expertise in problems of increasing scope and complexity
• Plan, organize, estimate, schedule, coordinate, and monitor assigned engineering work
• Prepare accurate calculations, specifications, drawings, design inputs, and test plans
• Evaluate design alternatives, risk, and lifecycle needs; document recommendations
• Develop conceptual designs and coordinate work by vendors and external firms
• Serve as Responsible Engineer for assigned modifications when qualified
• Review installation packages to ensure design is correctly translated to field activities
• Provide field, outage, and implementation support while maintaining configuration control and design authority
• Coordinate design reviews, cybersecurity assessments, and post-modification testing
• Communicate clearly and build cross-organizational relationships
• Coach and mentor others in a nuclear safety-focused environment

Skills

Nuclear engineering

Project management

Technical guidance

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

ABET-accredited engineering degree

Professional Engineer (PE)

Tools

Nuclear Asset Suite

Nuclear design tools

Job description

More than a career - a chance to make a difference in people's lives. Build an exciting, rewarding career with us – help us make a difference for millions of people every day. Consider joining the Duke Energy team, where you'll find a friendly work environment, opportunities for growth and development, recognition for your work, and competitive pay and benefits.

Depending upon the desired qualifications of the successful applicant, the hiring manager may elect to fill this position at a higher level within the job hierarchy.

Build the Future of Nuclear Energy

Join Duke Energy’s Instrumentation & Control Design Engineering team at Oconee Nuclear Station and help modernize a three-unit nuclear generating facility that provides safe, reliable, carbon-free electricity to the Carolinas. In this role, you will apply established engineering experience to develop and deliver solutions that support continued operation into the 2050s, ranging from targeted component upgrades to major digital control-system replacements. You will work with multidisciplinary partners across Operations, Maintenance, Projects, Licensing, Cybersecurity, vendors, and external design organizations. The role requires advanced technical judgment and ownership of increasingly complex engineering work from concept through installation, testing, turnover, and closeout. Senior-level candidates will manage non-routine work with very minimal supervision and provide technical guidance and knowledge transfer to others.

Position Overview

Nuclear Engineer III is the advancing level of the Nuclear Engineering classification hierarchy. Engineers at this level solve problems of increasing scope and complexity with limited supervision, apply engineering concepts and procedures to progressively complex and varied work, and demonstrate increasing ability to independently manage project schedules and interfaces.

Senior Nuclear Engineer

Senior Nuclear Engineer is the senior level of the Nuclear Engineering classification hierarchy. Engineers at this level manage engineering work with very minimal supervision, independently complete non-routine assignments, and receive guidance primarily for unusual or highly complex projects or issues. They are fully competent in applicable concepts and procedures, identify problems, develop solutions, and take action to resolve them.

At either level, you will develop and support plant modifications involving instrumentation and controls, AC and DC power and control systems, digital hardware, software-based applications, plant computer interfaces, control circuits, and cybersecurity-related design requirements. The selected individual will complete the required Responsible Engineer training and qualification program and, once qualified, serve as the primary technical owner for assigned modifications through design, planning, installation, testing, turnover, and closeout. Prior nuclear modification‑engineer qualifications and demonstrated products may be considered when establishing or accelerating the qualification plan. The successful candidate will demonstrate attention to detail, clear communication, sound technical judgment, commitment to nuclear safety, and effective coordination across organizational boundaries.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide engineering and technical expertise in the identification, analysis, and resolution of problems of increasing scope and complexity, including issues that may extend beyond typical areas of responsibility
• Plan, organize, estimate, schedule, coordinate, and monitor assigned engineering work; manage changing priorities, project interfaces, technical risk, and decisions that may affect work-group operations or project results
• Prepare accurate, traceable engineering products such as calculations, specifications, drawings, design inputs, evaluations, setpoints, and test plans
• Evaluate design alternatives, technical risk, operating experience, lifecycle needs, and stakeholder input; document clear recommendations and their basis
• Develop conceptual designs and technical specifications and coordinate engineering work performed by vendors and external design firms
• When qualified, serve as the Responsible Engineer and primary technical contact for assigned modifications from design through closeout
• Review installation work instructions and implementation packages to confirm that the approved design is correctly translated into field activities and testing
• Provide field, outage, and implementation support while maintaining configuration control, procedural compliance, and design authority
• Perform or coordinate design reviews, digital and software evaluations, cybersecurity assessments, licensing evaluations, and post-modification testing
• Apply a strong nuclear safety culture, conservative decision-making, human-performance tools, and rigorous procedure use
• Communicate technical information clearly and build effective working relationships with station organizations, project teams, vendors, and external partners
• Support continuous learning and knowledge transfer; Senior Nuclear Engineers coach and mentor other engineering and non-degreed engineering professionals while representing the company positively and professionally

Minimum Qualifications

The incumbent must meet the minimum ANSI requirements for this position identified within the scope of Nuclear Operating Fleet Administrative Procedure AD-LS-ALL-0011, Confirmation of Regulatory Guide 1.8 Personnel Qualifications. Note: This posting is for one open position. Dependent on relative experience, the level to which a candidate is aligned is outlined below.

Nuclear Engineer III

• 1 year of nuclear power plant experience
• Bachelor of Science in Engineering from an ABET accredited program
• A Master's degree in engineering will be considered in lieu of the B. S. engineering degree
• Minimum of 4 years of engineering experience

Senior Nuclear Engineer

• 1 year of nuclear power plant experience
• Bachelor of Science in Engineering from an ABET accredited program or state registration as a Professional Engineer
• A Master's degree in engineering will be considered in lieu of the B. S. engineering degree
• Minimum of 6 years of engineering experience or 5 years of engineering experience with state registration as a Professional Engineer

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering or computer engineering.
• Passed the Fundamentals of Engineering examination; state registration as a Professional Engineer is preferred for Senior Nuclear Engineer candidates
• Nuclear design, modification, operations, maintenance, or project implementation experience
• Nuclear utility modification-engineer qualification or comparable experience leading engineering changes through implementation
• Proficiency in engineering theories and principles and in researching engineering and design issues, evaluating alternatives, making sound recommendations, and preparing and presenting the supporting basis
• Ability to complete non-routine engineering projects with very minimal supervision, independently manage schedules and interfaces, and make decisions that may affect work-group operations, major projects, or department results
• Strong professional oral and written communication skills, demonstrated ability to work across organizational boundaries, and ability to coach or mentor other engineering and non-degreed engineering professionals
• Experience developing or reviewing digital hardware, software, firmware, networks, virtualization, plant computers, or control-system modifications, including legacy-system migration and digital interfaces or protocols such as Modbus, OPC DA, or OPC UA
• Experience applying systems-engineering principles across the digital-modification lifecycle, including stakeholder needs, requirements, architecture, test plans and acceptance criteria, implementation, and turnover
• Working knowledge of digital-upgrade licensing considerations, 10 CFR 50.59, 10 CFR 73.54 cybersecurity requirements
• Experience with an engineering-change or work-management system; Nuclear Asset Suite experience is beneficial but not required
• Demonstrated commitment to technical rigor, configuration control, procedure use and adherence, and nuclear safety culture

Additional Requirements

• Ability to obtain and maintain unescorted access to a nuclear facility, including required training, security screening, and compliance with the site Fitness for Duty Program
• Complete required engineering and Responsible Engineer qualifications before performing assigned modification work independently
• The role may include Emergency Response Organization responsibilities, callouts with a defined response time to the site, on-call duty, and associated Fitness for Duty requirements
• Support utility storm response when assigned
• Ability to wear required personal protective equipment, including a hard hat, safety glasses, and fall protection, as applicable
• Ability to perform plant walkdowns and work in office, field, and industrial environments as required by assigned projects
• Occasional overnight travel, generally 5–10%

Work Arrangement

• Hybrid role based at Oconee Nuclear Station. On-site presence is required during onboarding and qualification and as needed for project execution, plant walkdowns, outages, emergent support, and team activities
• Hybrid Mobility Classification – Work will be performed from both remote and onsite locations after the onboarding period. However, hybrid employees must live within a reasonable commute to their designated Duke Energy facility, not greater than 50 miles one way. Employees are expected to report to their assigned Duke Energy facility as required and directed by their manager, on average 2 full workdays per regular work week
• The team typically works a four‑day, 10‑hour schedule. The balance of on-site and remote work may vary based on business, qualification, and project needs
• Occasional travel to other company sites, industry facilities, vendor locations, conferences, and meetings
• Occasional off‑hours or extended‑hours support for outages, testing, plant conditions, storm response, or project implementation

Travel Requirements

• 5-15%

Relocation Assistance Provided (as applicable)

Yes

Represented/Union Position

No

Visa Sponsored Position

No. This is not a Visa Sponsored Position. This role requires the ability to work lawfully in the U.S. without employment-based immigration sponsorship, now or in the future.

Please note that in order to be considered for this position, you must possess all of the basic/required qualifications.