Staff Instrumentation and Controls Engineer

valaratomics; Torrance (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Valar Atomics is seeking a Staff Instrumentation and Controls Engineer to design, develop, commission, and maintain control systems for nuclear fuel manufacturing facilities. You will lead PLC/DCS programming, SCADA/HMI development, and batch control across ISA-88 and SIS domains.

You will own instrument engineering scope, review contractor deliverables, and mentor junior engineers while ensuring regulatory compliance and safety standards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Electronic, Computer, or Systems Engineering.
• Nuclear industry experience preferred but not required.
• Strong understanding of ISA-88 and IEC 61511 standards.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, commission, and maintain control systems for nuclear fuel facilities.
• Lead PLC/DCS programming, SCADA/HMI development, and batch control.
• Configure safety instrumented functions (SIFs) and ISA-18.2 alarm management.
• Oversee contractor work and mentor junior engineers.
• Prepare FAT/SAT plans and maintain engineering documentation.

Skills

PLC programming

SCADA configuration

HMI design

ISA-88 batch control

SIS safety functions

Industrial cybersecurity basics

Industrial communication protocols

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Electronic, Computer, or Systems Engineering

Tools

Rockwell ControlLogix/CompactLogix

Siemens S7/TIA Portal

Ignition

AVEVA System Platform

OSIsoft PI Historian

Job description

About Valar Atomics

At Valar Atomics, we're redefining what's possible in energy. Our mission is to make clean, high-temperature nuclear power scalable-unlocking abundant energy for industry, hydrogen, and next-generation manufacturing. We are a team of builders, engineers, and operators who believe nuclear energy should be fast to deploy, factory-made, and built for the real world. Our first pilot plant in Orangeville, Utah will demonstrate how advanced nuclear systems and fuel fabrication can power the future. Joining Valar Atomics means becoming part of a company where autonomy, ownership, and impact exist at every level.

The Team

You will be joining Valar Atomics' I&C and Controls Engineering team within the Fuel Manufacturing group. I&C Engineers at Valar own the full controls stack - from PLC logic and batch sequences at the field level to SCADA displays, historian data infrastructure, and enterprise integration at the supervisory level. You will work alongside process, electrical, and nuclear safety engineers in a hands‑on environment where the quality of your control system engineering directly supports production reliability and nuclear safety. The team values technical depth, disciplined documentation, and a safety-first culture.

The Role

Valar Atomics is seeking a Staff Instrumentation and Controls (I&C) Engineer to design, develop, commission, and maintain control systems for nuclear fuel manufacturing facilities. The role spans the full controls stack – PLC and DCS programming, SCADA and HMI development, ISA‑88 batch control, safety instrumented systems, historian and enterprise integration, and field commissioning – with senior responsibility for technical leadership of complex projects, contractor oversight, and mentorship of junior engineers.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain PLC and DCS programs using platforms such as Rockwell ControlLogix/CompactLogix, Siemens S7/TIA Portal, Emerson, or equivalent; program in ladder logic, function block, structured text, and sequential function chart per IEC 61131-3.
• Develop and configure SCADA applications on platforms such as Ignition, Rockwell FactoryTalk, Wonderware AVEVA System Platform, Siemens WinCC, or equivalent; build and maintain tag databases, communication drivers, scripting, and alarm configuration.
• Design HMI displays at both the local panel level (Rockwell PanelView, WinCC, or equivalent) and the supervisory SCADA level in accordance with ISA-101 and High-Performance HMI (HPHMI) principles.
• Develop batch control sequences in accordance with ISA-88; configure phase logic, unit procedures, and recipe management; monitor batch execution, unit status, and recipe progress at the supervisory layer.
• Configure and manage alarm systems to ISA-18.2 including setpoints, priorities, suppression logic, and alarm KPI monitoring.
• Configure and commission safety instrumented functions (SIFs) on SIS platforms (Rockwell GuardLogix, Siemens F-CPU, Triconex, or equivalent) in accordance with IEC 61511.
• Configure plant historian systems (OSIsoft PI / AVEVA PI, Ignition Historian, Rockwell FactoryTalk Historian, or equivalent); build process data dashboards and reports; support ISA-95 enterprise-control integration including data exchange interfaces between control systems and MES, ERP, or LIMS.
• Tune PID and advanced regulatory control loops; commission instrumentation including flow, pressure, temperature, and level devices; support loop calibration and documentation.
• Own instrument engineering scope including sizing and specification of field devices (transmitters, control valves, flow elements), instrument index and hook‑up drawing development, and hazardous area classification for new and modified installations; review instrument specifications prepared by junior engineers and contractors.
• Implement and configure industrial communication protocols (OPC‑UA, EtherNet/IP, PROFINET, Modbus TCP/RTU, DeviceNet); configure interfaces between PLCs, SCADA, historian, and third‑party systems.
• Support OT network cybersecurity hardening in accordance with IEC 62443 or NIST SP 800-82.
• Prepare and execute control system FAT, SAT, and commissioning plans; perform loop checks, instrument calibration verification, interlock functional testing, and regulatory control loop tuning; maintain engineering documentation including functional specifications, control narratives, I/O lists, cause-and-effect matrices, tag lists, and as-built records.
• Diagnose and resolve control system faults including PLC/SCADA communication failures, I/O faults, loop deviations, and software defects; perform root cause analysis and document corrective actions.
• Provide technical direction to contractors and consultants on I&C scope; review and redline control system deliverables to ensure compliance with project standards and nuclear quality requirements.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Electronic, Computer, or Systems Engineering, or a related disc