I/C Computer Technician

APS•TONOPAH, AZ

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Instrument & Controls (I&C) Computer Technician maintains, tests, troubleshoots, configures, and supports safety-related, security-related, and risk-significant digital systems that support nuclear plant operations, security, and emergency preparedness. The position performs surveillance and post-maintenance testing, system upgrades, and cybersecurity activities involving plant computer systems, digital control systems (DCS), programmable logic controllers (PLCs), data acquisition systems, and associated networks. It operates in a highly regulated nuclear environment requiring strict adherence to technical specifications, cybersecurity requirements, configuration control, and procedures. The technician serves as a technical subject matter resource for operations, engineering, security, and emergency preparedness organizations. The role supports digital-system maintenance and upgrades, security and emergency-notification systems, cybersecurity and configuration management, outage activities, testing, and documentation. Employees may be called upon to serve in the Emergency Response Organization (ERO) and support refueling or short-notice outages. The position is onsite and requires work in the field and/or at an APS facility. Employees are expected to reside in Arizona, except Four Corners-based employees may reside in New Mexico. Applicants for openings at Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station must be U.S. persons.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED, plus three years of working experience in I&C, digital controls, plant computer systems, or equivalent technical roles; one year should be related technical training.
Meet or exceed minimum education and experience requirements per Palo Verde Procedure 01DP-0EM08, Appendix A.
Possess a high degree of manual dexterity and ability, and be capable of learning and applying basic skills.
Qualify for and maintain unescorted nuclear access.
Obtain and maintain required site and system qualifications.
Complete the EEI MASS test; testing is administered to referred candidates.
Applicants for Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station openings must be U.S. persons under the stated U.S. export-control requirements.
Reside in Arizona, or in New Mexico if based at Four Corners.
Fulfill ERO obligations if called upon and support refueling or short-notice outage activities if called upon.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of digital control systems such as Ovation or equivalent DCS, PLCs, RTUs, and microprocessor-based systems.
Knowledge of plant computer systems, historians, Windows/UNIX server-based computer systems, and data concentrators.
Knowledge of safety-related and risk-significant digital systems.
Knowledge of industrial computer networking, including Ethernet-based and fiber-optic-based communications.
Knowledge of industrial instrumentation interfaces, test-equipment use, and signal conditioning.
Knowledge of Technical Specifications and surveillance requirements, configuration management and change control, nuclear cybersecurity requirements (such as 10 CFR 73.54 / NEI 08-09), emergency preparedness and security-system interfaces, procedure use and adherence, human-performance tools, and corrective-action processes.

Responsibilities

Maintain, test, and troubleshoot safety-significant plant computer systems, DCS platforms, meteorological tower monitoring systems, PLCs, RTUs, and other I&C-owned digital or networked components.
Conduct channel checks, functional and logic testing, calibration, surveillance activities, and post-maintenance testing in accordance with approved procedures.
Diagnose hardware, software, communication, and data-quality problems and restore system functionality after failures or configuration changes.
Maintain, test, and troubleshoot I&C-owned security regulatory-required computer systems and equipment, including access control interfaces, intrusion detection sensors, video surveillance cameras, vehicle barriers, security doors, turnstiles, field panels, and security computers.
Perform preventive and corrective maintenance on security systems, restore failed communication paths, validate alarm annunciation, and ensure operability of security backup power systems and components.
Maintain and test onsite/offsite evacuation notification sirens and communication interfaces, plant-wide public-address and broadcast systems, and emergency evacuation lighting.
Use aerial equipment such as bucket trucks and boom lifts to access elevated sirens, speakers, cameras, lighting, and other equipment.
Help ensure emergency notification systems serving county and local authorities remain functional during power loss and design-basis accident conditions.
Perform cybersecurity and configuration-management work, including system backups, software patching, account and access management, firewall and data-diode work, version control, and system hardening.
Use and maintain cyber-compliant interface equipment, including secure portable laptops, diagnostic devices, and approved portable media.
Support cybersecurity assessments, periodic maintenance, audits, and incident response, and maintain digital-asset documentation.
Support digital system upgrades, modifications, and Site Modification Packages across the project lifecycle; participate in stakeholder meetings on design intent, implementation, testing, and operational impacts.
Participate in Factory Acceptance Testing, cybersecurity-focused Factory Acceptance Testing, site installation testing, and integrated system testing.
Perform logic validation, I/O checkout, interlock testing, and system restoration after software or hardware modifications.
Provide technical support during plant outages, including digital upgrade implementation, large-scale testing, troubleshooting, and system startup.
Record work activities, surveillance results, test data, and as-left conditions accurately and traceably in the site work-management system.
Maintain configuration records, engineering drawings, change documentation, and evidence packages for regulatory and quality-assurance audits.
Support the Corrective Action Program by initiating condition reports and contributing to apparent-cause evaluations, root-cause analyses, and corrective-action implementation.
May be required to serve as an ERO member and support refueling or short-notice outages.
Report for random Fitness for Duty testing at Palo Verde within the specified time limits when notified.