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Salary: USD 144,000 - 176,000 / annual
Valar Atomics is a Series A advanced nuclear energy company developing scalable, factory-made nuclear power systems for industrial applications, hydrogen production, and next-generation manufacturing. Their first pilot plant in Orangeville, Utah will demonstrate advanced reactor and fuel fabrication technology.
You will join the Automation and Controls team within the Instrumentation, Control & Electrical (IC&E) organization, working alongside I&C hardware engineers, electrical engineers, process engineers, and nuclear safety specialists. The team emphasizes operator-focused design, data integrity, disciplined documentation, and safety-first culture.
As a Senior Automation and Controls Engineer, you will own controls software scope end-to-end for reactor and nuclear fuel manufacturing facilities, from functional specification through commissioning and long-term operational support. You will develop, configure, test, and commission control system software covering PLC and DCS programming, SCADA and HMI application development, ISA-88 batch control, alarm management, safety logic programming, historian configuration, and ISA-95 enterprise integration. You will provide technical direction to contractors, vendors, and junior engineers, and review control system software deliverables for compliance with project standards and nuclear quality requirements.
Key responsibilities include: developing and maintaining PLC and DCS applications using platforms such as Rockwell ControlLogix/CompactLogix, Siemens S7/TIA Portal, or Emerson; developing and configuring SCADA applications on platforms such as Ignition, FactoryTalk, AVEVA, or WinCC; designing HMI displays at local panel and supervisory SCADA levels per ISA-101 and High-Performance HMI principles; developing batch control software per ISA-88 including phase logic, equipment modules, unit procedures, and recipe management; configuring alarm systems to ISA-18.2 standards; programming and functionally testing safety logic on SIS platforms per IEC 61511; configuring plant historian systems and building operational dashboards; implementing ISA-95 enterprise-control integration including REST APIs and database interfaces; configuring industrial communication protocols including OPC-UA, EtherNet/IP, PROFINET, and Modbus; writing SQL queries, stored procedures, and Python scripts for data processing and test automation; applying software configuration management including version control and change control; defining OT network architecture and configuring cybersecurity controls per IEC 62443 or NIST SP 800-82; preparing and executing FAT, SAT, and commissioning test plans; diagnosing and resolving control system software faults; coordinating with I&C Hardware Engineers on I/O assignment and loop commissioning; and maintaining disciplined engineering records consistent with nuclear quality requirements.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Basic Requirements:
- Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Electronic, Computer, Systems Engineering, Computer Science, or related discipline
- 5+ years of controls software, PLC programming, or SCADA development experience in process industries
- Hands-on PLC programming experience with at least one major platform (Rockwell, Siemens, Emerson, or equivalent) using IEC 61131-3 languages
- Hands-on experience developing or maintaining SCADA applications on at least one major platform (Ignition, FactoryTalk, AVEVA, WinCC, or equivalent)
- Experience designing HMI displays to ISA-101 or HPHMI principles
- Experience developing batch control sequences in accordance with ISA-88
- Experience configuring alarm management systems with working knowledge of ISA-18.2
- Experience configuring plant historian systems and building operational data dashboards
- Familiarity with ISA-95 enterprise-control integration concepts
- Working knowledge of OPC-UA, EtherNet/IP, PROFINET, or Modbus communication protocols
- Ability to read and interpret P&IDs, loop diagrams, and I/O lists
- Working knowledge of software version control and change control practice for control system applications
- Working knowledge of safety logic programming and functional testing under IEC 61511
Preferred Skills and Experience:
- Ignition Certified Designer, Rockwell Automation Certified Programmer, Siemens TIA Portal certification, or equivalent platform certification
- ISA Certified Automation Professional (CAP) or equivalent credentials
- Professional Engineer (PE) license
- Experience with ISA-88 batch control implementation including recipe management and material genealogy tracking
- Experience developing safety logic to IEC 61511 under formal software validation and functional test regime
- Experience with OSIsoft PI / AVEVA PI including PI AF asset framework configuration and PI Web API
- Experience writing SQL queries and stored procedures for operational reporting and historian-to-database data feeds
- Experience with Python scripting for data processing, API integration, or control system test automation
- Experience with REST API development or consumption for system integration
- Experience with Git or equivalent version control applied to controller and SCADA application code
- Experience with LIMS integration (LabWare, Uncountable, LabVantage, or equivalent)
- Familiarity with GAMP 5, 21 CFR Part 11, or nuclear quality (NQA-1) requirements for control system software validation
- Exposure to IEC 62443 OT cybersecurity standards and secure network architecture for industrial control systems
- Experience with virtualised or containerised SCADA and historian infrastructure, including server and client redundancy
