Senior Instrumentation and Controls Engineer

Valar Atomics is seeking a Senior 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.

• ◆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

• ✓Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Electronic, Computer, or Systems Engineering, or a related discipline.
• ✓Minimum 5+ years of I&C or controls engineering experience in process industries, with demonstrated ownership of complex control system projects from design through commissioning.
• ✓Hands-on PLC programming experience with at least one major platform (Rockwell, Siemens, Emerson, or equivalent) using IEC 61131-3 languages.
• ✓Experience developing or maintaining SCADA applications on at least one major platform (Ignition, FactoryTalk, AVEVA, WinCC, or equivalent).
• ✓Experience developing batch control sequences in accordance with ISA-88.
• ✓Familiarity with ISA-95 enterprise-control integration concepts.
• ✓Experience commissioning instrumentation and tuning regulatory control loops.
• ✓Working knowledge of OPC-UA, EtherNet/IP, PROFINET, or Modbus communication protocols.
• ✓Ability to read and interpret P&IDs, electrical drawings, and instrument data sheets.
• ✓Demonstrated experience specifying and sizing field instruments (transmitters, con