Senior Instrumentation & Control Engineer — PLC/SCADA Expert

General Atomics; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 171,000; Full time

Job summary

General Atomics in San Diego is seeking an Instrumentation & Control Engineer to oversee design, installation, maintenance, and optimization of I&C systems across plant operations. You will ensure reliable automation, process control, and compliance with safety and regulatory standards.

The role involves leading projects from concept through commissioning, collaborating with scientists and operations teams, and delivering robust control solutions in a fast-paced, safety-focused environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's, master's, or PhD in engineering from an accredited institution.
• Six+ years with a bachelor's; four+ with a master's; two+ with a PhD; substitutions allowed.
• General understanding of engineering concepts with safety/regulatory compliance.
• Strong understanding of computer science concepts desirable.
• Experience with C, C++, and/or Python programming desirable.
• LabVIEW experience desirable.
• CAD packages (SolidWorks/SolidWorks Electrical) desirable.
• NFPA, NEC, UL 508 standards knowledge desirable.
• FPGA design and programming desirable.

Responsibilities

• Manage plant instrumentation, PLC, SCADA, and control systems.
• Work with sensors, DAQ, and signal conditioning systems.
• Support scientists in collecting and interpreting experimental data.
• Design analog and digital control circuits and modify existing ones.
• Update circuits with replacement components for obsolescence.
• Test and troubleshoot electrical/electronic control circuits and systems.
• Prepare and present design reviews.
• Read schematics and determine circuit functions.
• Maintain documentation for instrumentation and control systems.
• Improve system reliability, efficiency, and automation performance.
• Coordinate PCB fabrication with in-house and external resources.

Skills

PLC & HMI concepts

SCADA systems

DAQ & sensors

Data interpretation

Automation engineering

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Master's degree in engineering

PhD in engineering

Tools

C

C++

Python

LabVIEW

SolidWorks

SolidWorks Electrical

CAD (Electrical)

PLC/HMI programming

Ethernet/TCP-IP

Job description

General Atomics in San Diego is seeking an Instrumentation & Control Engineer to oversee design, installation, maintenance, and optimization of I&C systems across plant operations. You will ensure reliable automation, process control, and compliance with safety and regulatory standards.

The role involves leading projects from concept through commissioning, collaborating with scientists and operations teams, and delivering robust control solutions in a fast-paced, safety-focused environment.