SlipstreamJobs tracks this role from the company's public career site. Apply directly on the employer's site.
Aalo Atomics is pioneering factory-fabricated microreactors to deliver affordable, scalable, and reliable nuclear power globally. Based in Austin, TX, the company is rapidly growing as it works to deploy the world's first fleet of advanced microreactors, starting with the Aalo-1, a 10 MWe reactor.
You will lead the Instrumentation & Controls (I&C) team, balancing technical stewardship with people leadership. You will guide a high-performing engineering team in designing and implementing first-of-a-kind digital control systems for next-generation nuclear facilities. Your responsibilities span the full I&C roadmap from conceptual design through commissioning.
Key responsibilities include:
**Team Leadership & Talent Development:** Manage, mentor, and grow a specialized team of I&C engineers through regular 1:1s, performance evaluations, and career development planning. Establish engineering resource allocation plans aligned with startup milestones. Foster a culture of high accountability, innovation, and psychological safety.
**Project & Technical Roadmap Execution:** Own the execution and delivery of safety-critical instrumentation and control system designs for advanced nuclear facilities. Define architecture roadmaps, control strategies, and hardware requirements for DCS and PLC-based control systems. Drive technical alignment between I&C and reactor physics, thermal-hydraulics, and balance of plant engineering teams. Manage technical interfaces with equipment vendors, system integrators, and prototype testing partners.
**System Integration, Testing & Governance:** Oversee comprehensive system integration and validation strategies utilizing simulation, hardware-in-the-loop (HIL), and modeling tools. Direct factory acceptance testing (FAT) and site acceptance testing (SAT) strategies for first-of-a-kind hardware and software. Ensure flawless operational handoffs during startup testing and initial reactor criticality operations.
**Quality Assurance & Regulatory Compliance:** Enforce and continuously improve compliance protocols under nuclear quality assurance programs (10 CFR 50 Appendix B). Lead preparation and presentation of I&C engineering documentation during regulatory audits, licensing activities, and inspections with the NRC and DOE. Review and approve technical evaluations, test procedures, safety classifications, and engineering changes.
**Requirements:**
Required:
- Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Nuclear, or Control Systems Engineering (or closely related discipline)
- Demonstrated experience leading engineering teams, managing project resources, or executing technical project management in a fast-paced environment
- Strong domain knowledge of PLCs, DCS architectures, SCADA systems, industrial networks, and balance of plant (BOP) dynamics
- Deep familiarity with nuclear safety-related system standards (e.g., IEEE 603, IEC 61513) and strict adherence to design control environments
- Exceptional interpersonal and technical communication skills, with ability to translate complex design complexities to non-technical startup stakeholders
- Must be based in the United States and willing to work on-site in Idaho Falls, ID
- Must be a U.S. Citizen or U.S. Person in compliance with 10 CFR Part 810
Preferred:
- 8+ years of technical experience in high-reliability or nuclear I&C environments, with 2+ years explicitly in a supervisory, team lead, or management capacity
- Professional Engineering (PE) license or Master's/Ph.D. degree in a relevant engineering field
- Experience driving first-of-a-kind or advanced reactor design concepts from baseline to deployment
- Practical knowledge of nuclear cybersecurity regulations and commercial grade dedication (CGD) frameworks like NEI 17-06
- Familiarity with model-based system engineering (MBSE), advanced control algorithms, and smart sensor integration
- Ability to lift up to 50 pounds of equipment and tools
