Digital Instrumentation & Control Design Engineer I OR Engineer II – Oconee Nuclear Station

Duke Energy Corporation•Seneca, SC

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

Join Duke Energy’s Instrumentation & Control (I&C) Design Engineering team at Oconee Nuclear Station and help modernize a three-unit nuclear generating facility that provides safe, reliable, carbon-free electricity to the Carolinas. In this role, you will develop engineering solutions that support continued operation into the 2050s. You will gain hands-on experience with plant systems and contribute to projects ranging from targeted component upgrades to major digital control-system replacements. You will work with experienced engineers and multidisciplinary partners across Operations, Maintenance, Projects, Licensing, Cybersecurity, vendors, and external design organizations. The role offers structured qualification, mentoring, increasing technical ownership, and opportunities to lead a modification from concept through installation, testing, and turnover. Nuclear Engineer I is an entry-level position for candidates who are ready to apply engineering fundamentals in a highly regulated, team-oriented environment. Work is performed with close supervision while the engineer builds technical proficiency, completes required qualifications, and progressively assumes greater independence. Nuclear Engineer II is an intermediate-level position for candidates with experience in nuclear power, electric utilities, power generation, industrial controls, regulated facilities, digital control systems, or another directly related engineering environment. Engineers at this level apply established concepts and procedures to varied, moderately complex assignments under general supervision and are expected to demonstrate increasing technical depth, judgment, and independence. At either level, you will develop and support plant modifications involving instrumentation and controls, AC and DC power and control systems, digital hardware, software-based applications, plant computer interfaces, control circuits, and cybersecurity-related design requirements. After completing the required training and qualification program, you may serve as the Responsible Engineer—the primary technical owner for an assigned modification—through design, planning, installation, testing, turnover, and closeout. Prior nuclear modification-engineer qualifications may be considered when establishing your qualification plan. The successful candidate will bring strong attention to detail, clear communication, sound technical judgment, a commitment to safety, and the ability to learn and work effectively across organizational boundaries.

Requirements

The incumbent must meet the minimum ANSI requirements for this position identified within the scope of Nuclear Operating Fleet Administrative Procedure AD-LS-ALL-0011, Confirmation of Regulatory Guide 1.8 Personnel Qualifications
Bachelor of Science in Engineering from an ABET accredited program
A Master 's degree in Engineering will be considered in lieu of a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (for Engineer I)
Bachelor of Science in Engineering from an ABET accredited program (for Engineer II)
A Master 's degree in Engineering will be considered in lieu of a Bachelor of Science in Engineering (for Engineer II)
Minimum of 2 years of engineering experience (for Engineer II)
1 year of nuclear power plant experience (for Engineer II)
Ability to obtain and maintain unescorted access to a nuclear facility, including required training, security screening, and compliance with the site Fitness for Duty Program.
Complete required engineering and Responsible Engineer qualifications before performing assigned modification work independently.
The role may include Emergency Response Organization responsibilities, callouts with a defined response time to the site, on-call duty, and associated Fitness for Duty requirements.
Support utility storm response when assigned.
Ability to wear required personal protective equipment, including a hard hat, safety glasses, and fall protection, as applicable.
Ability to perform plant walkdowns and work in office, field, and industrial environments as required by assigned projects.
Must possess all of the basic/required qualifications.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering or computer engineering.
Passed the Fundamentals of Engineering examination.
Nuclear design, modification, operations, maintenance, or project implementation experience.
Nuclear utility modification-engineer qualification or comparable experience leading engineering changes through implementation.
Experience developing or reviewing digital hardware, software, firmware, network, virtualization, plant computer, or control-system modifications.
Experience with digital interfaces or protocols such as Modbus, OPC DA, or OPC UA and with migration of legacy systems to modern infrastructure.
Experience applying systems-engineering principles to the lifecycle of digital modifications, including stakeholder needs, requirements, architecture, testing, implementation, and turnover.
Working knowledge of digital-upgrade licensing considerations, 10 CFR 50.59, and 10 CFR 73.54 cybersecurity requirements.
Experience developing digital or software modification test plans and acceptance criteria.
Experience with an engineering-change or work-management system; Nuclear Asset Suite experience is beneficial but not required.
Demonstrated commitment to technical rigor, configuration control, procedure use and adherence, and nuclear safety culture.
Strong professional oral and written communication skills.
Ability to research engineering and design issues, evaluate alternatives, develop sound recommendations, and present the supporting basis.
Ability to work effectively in a team environment and accept coaching while developing independent capability.

Responsibilities

Develop engineering modifications for electrical, instrumentation and control, digital, software, and cybersecurity-related systems.
Define project scope, technical requirements, design basis, installation approach, testing, acceptance criteria, and turnover strategy.
Prepare accurate, traceable engineering products such as calculations, specifications, drawings, design inputs, evaluations, setpoints, and test plans.
Evaluate design alternatives, technical risk, operating experience, lifecycle needs, and stakeholder input; document clear recommendations and their basis.
Develop conceptual designs and technical specifications and coordinate engineering work performed by vendors and external design firms.
When qualified, serve as the Responsible Engineer and primary technical contact for assigned modifications from design through closeout.
Review installation work instructions and implementation packages to confirm that the approved design is correctly translated into field activities and testing.
Provide field, outage, and implementation support while maintaining configuration control, procedural compliance, and design authority.
Perform or coordinate design reviews, digital and software evaluations, cybersecurity assessments, licensing evaluations, and post-modification testing.
Apply a strong nuclear safety culture, conservative decision-making, human-performance tools, and rigorous procedure use.
Communicate technical information clearly and build effective working relationships with station organizations, project teams, vendors, and external partners.
Support continuous learning, knowledge transfer, and team goals while representing the company professionally.