Staff 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 class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]"><strong>About Valar Atomics</strong></p> <p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]">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.</p> <p><strong><span data-contrast="none">The Team</span></strong>&nbsp;</p> <p>You will be joining Valar Atomics' IC&amp;E 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.</p> <p><strong>The Role<br></strong></p> <p>Valar Atomics is seeking a Staff 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 with senior responsibility for technical leadership of complex projects, contractor oversight, and mentorship of junior engineers.<br><br><strong><span data-contrast="none">Key Responsibilities</span><span data-ccp-props="{}">&nbsp;<br></span></strong></p> <ul> <li>Select, size, and specify field instrumentation including flow, pressure, differential pressure, temperature, level, and analytical devices; produce instrument data sheets, specifications, and requisitions.</li> <li>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.</li> <li>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.</li> <li>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.</li> <li>Own instrumentation engineering documentation for capital projects including the instrument index, loop diagrams, hook-up drawings, I/O lists, instrument location plans, cable schedules, and P&amp;ID instrumentation mark-ups; establish drawing and tagging standards and review deliverables prepared by junior engineers and contractors.</li> <li>Own safety instrumented system hardware scope including SIL determination, 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; review SIS hardware deliverables prepared by junior engineers and contractors.</li> <li>Tune PID and advanced regulatory control loops; commission field instrumentation; diagnose and resolve loop deviations, valve response problems, and measurement quality issues.</li> <li>Establish and execute the instrument calibration program including calibration procedures, ranges, tolerances, traceability to NIST-referenced standards, calibration records, and recall scheduling.</li> <li>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.</li> <li>Prepare and execute hardware FAT, SAT, and commissioning plans; perform point-to-point continuity checks, loop checks, calibration verification, and end-to-end interlock testing from sensor through final element; produce turnover and as-built documentation.</li> <li>Diagnose and resolve field faults including I/O channel failures, transmitter drift, positioner and actuator faults, and wiring, grounding, or noise-induced signal problems; perform root cause analysis and document corrective actions.</li> <li>Support instrument reliability engineering including criticality and spares analysis, failure rate data collection, preventive and predictive maintenance strategy, and obsolescence planning.</li> <li>Coordinate with process, mechanical, and piping engineers on instrument installation details including process connections, tapping point location, impulse lines, manifolds, heat tracing, and material compatibility for wetted parts.</li> <li>Coordinate with I&amp;C Software Engineers on I/O assignment, tag naming, signal scaling, loop commissioning, and control of tuning parameter changes to ensure field hardware and control logic remain consistent.</li> <li><span data-ccp-props="{}">Provide technical direction to contractors, vendors, and installation crews on I&amp;C hardware scope; own vendor technical evaluation and package review, and redline installatio