Senior I&c Engineer

ACTalent; United States; Remote; USD 90,000 - 124,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

Remote work flexibility

401(k) retirement plan

Job summary

ACTalent is seeking a Sr. Instrumentation & Controls Engineer for a fully remote role focused on nuclear power plant modernization. You will lead design, evaluation, and implementation of I&C systems, ensuring NRC compliance and high reliability.

You will mentor junior engineers, interface with clients and vendors, and drive digital upgrades from concept through validation while maintaining safety and regulatory standards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering required.
• 10+ years in instrumentation & controls engineering.
• 5+ years supporting operating nuclear power plants.
• Experience with digital upgrade initiatives in nuclear environments.
• Familiarity with NRC regulations and nuclear standards.
• Ability to lead complex I&C projects and mentor staff.

Responsibilities

• Lead changes and plant modifications for nuclear plants.
• Develop and review engineering evaluations and calculations.
• Review I&C designs, architectures, and integrations.
• Prepare and validate design docs, drawings, and reports.
• Coordinate with project stakeholders, vendors, and clients.
• Provide technical oversight and field testing support.
• Mentor junior and mid-level engineers.
• Drive digital upgrade projects from concept to closeout.
• Ensure compliance with NRC requirements and plant procedures.

Skills

I&C engineering experience

Nuclear plant experience

Digital modernization projects

Technical leadership

Regulatory compliance knowledge

Strong communication skills

Mentoring junior engineers

Project coordination

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Engineering

Tools

Ovation or similar DCS

PLC/DCS platforms

Job description

FULLY REMOTE Sr. Instrumentation & Controls (I&C) Engineer

Job Description

This Sr. Instrumentation & Controls Engineer role supports engineering, design, and modernization initiatives for nuclear power generation facilities. You will focus on process instrumentation that measures variables such as temperature, pressure, flow, and level, and on the control systems that use these signals for plant indication, alarms, and control. You will develop and review engineering design packages, evaluate vendor solutions, prepare and review electrical and instrumentation drawings, and support field implementation activities. The position plays a key role in digital upgrade projects, ensuring compliance with NRC requirements, and verifying that new system designs meet operational and regulatory expectations. You will work closely with clients, project teams, vendors, and fellow engineers to execute plant modifications and modernization projects while providing technical leadership and mentoring to junior engineering staff.

Responsibilities

• Lead engineering change and plant modification efforts for operating nuclear power plants.
• Execute work using the nuclear industrys standard design and engineering change processes.
• Develop and review engineering evaluations, analyses, and calculations for I&C systems.
• Review instrumentation and control system designs, including architecture, configuration, and integration.
• Prepare, review, and validate engineering design documentation, drawings, and technical reports.
• Coordinate engineering activities with project stakeholders, including project management, field services, vendors, and client representatives.
• Review vendor proposals and technical submittals to ensure technical adequacy and compliance with project requirements and nuclear standards.
• Provide technical oversight for system design, engineering calculations, design changes, vendor reviews, and field testing and validation.
• Mentor junior and mid-level engineers by reviewing their work, providing guidance, and supporting their professional development.
• Support plant implementation and outage activities as needed, including field support, testing, and commissioning.
• Ensure compliance with NRC requirements, nuclear industry standards, and plant procedures for all design and modification work.
• Function as a Responsible Engineer (RE) by coordinating engineering activities, assigning tasks, reviewing technical work products, and overseeing evaluations.
• Review and approve drawings and other design deliverables to ensure quality and consistency across plant modification projects.
• Drive engineering modifications from initial scope development through design, review, implementation, testing, and closeout.
• Support and lead digital upgrade projects, including replacement of analog systems with modern digital control platforms.
• Participate in and support protective relay modifications, turbine control upgrades, feedwater system modifications, and neutron flux monitoring system projects where applicable.
• Collaborate closely with clients to understand operational needs and translate them into practical, compliant engineering solutions.
• Maintain a strong focus on safety, reliability, and regulatory compliance in all engineering activities.

Essential Skills

• Bachelors Degree in Engineering from an accredited institution.
• At least 10 years of experience in Instrumentation & Controls (I&C) Engineering.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience supporting operating nuclear power plants, with familiarity in the nuclear standard design and engineering change process.
• Significant experience supporting instrumentation and control system design, modification, or modernization projects within commercial nuclear power plants, including digital upgrade initiatives.
• Strong understanding of process instrumentation used to measure and monitor temperature, pressure, flow, tank levels, and similar process variables.
• Demonstrated experience with control systems, including PLC-based systems and Distributed Control Systems (DCS).
• Knowledge of platforms such as Ovation or similar distributed control systems.
• Strong understanding of control system architecture and nuclear regulatory requirements, including application of NRC regulations and nuclear standards.
• Proven experience supporting digital modernization projects and analog-to-digital upgrades in nuclear environments.
• Ability to prepare, review, and validate engineering design documentation, including calculations, specifications, and drawings.
• Experience working within the nuclear industrys standard engineering change and plant modification processes.
• Capability to independently drive engineering modifications from concept through implementation and closeout.
• Strong technical communication skills for coordinating with project teams, vendors, and client stakeholders.
• Ability to provide technical oversight and leadership on complex I&C projects.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Professional Engineer (PE) license or active progress toward obtaining one.
• Experience with major nuclear plant modification projects, particularly in I&C and digital controls.
• Prior experience serving as a Responsible Engineer (RE) with accountability for coordinating engineering activities and reviewing technical work products.
• Demonstrated technical leadership experience, including task assignment, oversight of evaluations, and review of drawings and design deliverables.
• Experience with protective relay modification projects within power generation environments.
• Experience with turbine controls, including design, modification, or modernization of turbine control systems.
• Experience with feedwater systems, including instrumentation and control aspects.
• Experience with neutron flux monitoring systems and their integration into plant control systems.
• Expereince in digital upgrade projects, including replacement of legacy analog systems with digital platforms in nuclear facilities.
• Ability to mentor junior and mid-level engineers and support their growth in nuclear I&C engineering.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills applied to complex, safety-critical systems.
• Comfort working in a collaborative, client-facing environment with frequent technical interactions.
• Willingness and ability to obtain and maintain nuclear plant access credentials, including experience investigation, drug screening, export control review, psychological evaluation, and nuclear site badging.

Work Environment

The role offers a combination of design, technical review, client interface, and implementation support within nuclear power generation facilities. Remote work flexibility is available and may increase with greater nuclear experience, while maintaining strong functional collaboration with project management, design teams, field services, vendors, and client stakeholders. Travel is typically required approximately one week per month to maintain site badge access, with additional travel during plant outages or implementation activities as needed. Work is performed in a professional engineering environment that includes both office-based design activities and on-site plant support. On-site work may involve exposure to typical power plant conditions, including industrial equipment, control rooms, and field instrumentation. The position provides opportunities to work with cutting-edge digital control technologies, PLCs, DCS platforms such as Ovation, and other modern nuclear I&C systems while contributing to critical modernization and digital transformation initiatives in the nuclear power industry.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Charlotte, NC.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $65.00 - $90.00/hr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your jobclassification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may besubject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefitsavailable for this temporary role may include the following:Medical, dental & visionCritical Illness, Accident, and Hospital401(k) Retirement Plan Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions availableLife Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)Short and long-term disabilityHealth Spending Account (HSA)Transportation benefitsEmployee Assistance ProgramTime Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Charlotte, NC.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Nov 23, 2026.

Workplace Type

This is a fully remote position.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications withoutregard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability,sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protectedby law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability,please email [e-mail] for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance:

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in thecity and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicantswith arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector:

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as acondition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this lawshall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI):

We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process,including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applicationsand qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, youacknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.