Senior Instrumentation & Controls Engineer - Hardware

About the company

Valar Atomics is a nuclear energy startup developing advanced small reactors and clusters of reactors to supply large-scale energy needs.

About this role

<p><span style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><strong>About Valar Atomics</strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">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.</span></p> <p><strong><span style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The Team</span></strong></p> <p><span style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">You will be joining Valar Atomics' I&amp;C and Controls Engineering team within the Fuel Manufacturing group. I&amp;C Hardware Engineers own the physical measurement and control layer — field instrumentation and final elements, control panels and I/O architecture, field wiring and network infrastructure, and safety instrumented system hardware. You will work alongside I&amp;C Software, process, electrical, mechanical, and nuclear safety engineers in a hands-on environment where measurement quality and installation integrity directly support production reliability and nuclear safety. The team values technical depth, disciplined documentation, and a safety-first culture.</span></p> <p><strong><span style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The Role</span></strong></p> <p><span style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Valar Atomics is seeking an I&amp;C Hardware Engineer to specify, design, install, commission, and maintain the instrumentation and control hardware for nuclear fuel manufacturing facilities. The role covers field instrument and final element selection, control panel and I/O architecture design, hazardous area classification, safety instrumented system hardware, field wiring and network infrastructure, calibration, loop commissioning, and control loop tuning supporting both capital projects and ongoing plant operations.</span></p> <p><strong><span style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Key Responsibilities</span></strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Select, size, and specify field instrumentation including flow, pressure, differential pressure, temperature, level, and analytical devices; produce instrument data sheets, specifications, and requisitions.</span></li> <li style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Size and specify final control elements including control valves, actuators, positioners, regulators, on-off valves, and flow elements; perform valve sizing, noise and cavitation checks, and actuator thrust verification.</span></li> <li style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Design control panels and remote I/O architecture including enclosure layout and rating, I/O module and channel allocation, terminal and marshalling arrangement, power distribution, UPS sizing, isolators, and intrinsic safety barriers.</span></li> <li style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Perform hazardous area classification and select equipment for classified areas in accordance with NEC Article 500/505 or IEC 60079; prepare intrinsic safety loop calculations and verify entity parameters.</span></li> <li style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Develop and maintain instrumentation engineering documentation including the instrument index, loop diagrams, hook-up drawings, I/O lists, instrument location plans, cable schedules, and P&amp;ID instrumentation mark-ups.</span></li> <li style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Support safety instrumented system hardware scope including SIL determination input, safety sensor and final element selection, redundancy and voting architecture, proof test interval and procedure development, and SIL verification calculations in accordance with IEC 61511 and IEC 61508.</span></li> <li style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Tune PID and advanced regulatory control loops; commission field instrumentation; diagnose and resolve loop deviations, valve response problems, and measurement quality issues.</span></li> <li style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Establish and execute the instrument calibration program including calibration procedures, ranges, tolerances, traceability to NIST-referenced standards, calibration records, and recall scheduling.</span></li> <li style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Specify and oversee installation of field wiring and physical OT network infrastructure including cable schedules, tray and conduit routing, media selection, signal and power segregation, grounding and shielding practice, and field switch and cabinet placement.</span><