Instrumentation and Controls Engineer - Control Systems Focus
About The Position
The Instrumentation and Controls Engineer will work with engineers, technical staff, and researchers to design, deploy, and operate systems used for control and protection of engineering systems for plasma experiments at PPPL and for national and international collaborations. The role supports the design, development, testing, and operational phases of projects, including developing novel solutions with scientific, engineering, and technical staff. Hands-on work includes testing systems, diagnosing failures, and making repairs when needed. The position is primarily office-based with occasional hands-on technical work, and is performed on-site at PPPL Monday through Friday. The position does not support visa sponsorship or relocation. It is full-time, with 40 standard weekly hours, and is not eligible for overtime.
Requirements
- Bachelor of Science degree or above in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related discipline.
- Knowledge of engineering instrumentation and control systems principles and practices, including commonplace technologies, software, design tools, and operating systems such as MS Windows and Linux.
- Ability to communicate ideas effectively to people with varying levels of technical skill and to work collaboratively with diverse scientific, engineering, and technical staff.
- Experience with hardware interfacing and control, including signal conditioning.
- Experience with PLC device families, including Allen-Bradley and Siemens, in new and legacy systems.
- Ability to create and interpret PLC programs in Limited-Variability Language (LVL), such as ladder logic, function block diagrams, and sequential function charts.
- Experience developing operator HMIs, including screens, alarm servers, and data historians.
- Experience applying control theory to the design and tuning of fast and slow systems.
- Experience with software version control and configuration management.
- Experience with communication protocols such as TCP, UDP, Modbus, and OPC.
- Experience defining requirements, creating hardware and software design documents, designing tests, and integrating systems.
Nice To Haves
- Experience designing, programming, and maintaining safety systems in accordance with IEC-61511/61508.
- Experience with SCADA programs such as EPICS.
- Ability to derive novel control solutions from customer requirements or system documentation.
- Experience with HMI design guided by ISA-101 “Human-Machine Interfaces.”
- Experience migrating legacy control systems to modern hardware and software.
- Knowledge of electrically safe work practices, including establishing Lockout/Tagout.
- Experience with database management and administration, such as SQL, HDF5, or MDSplus.
Responsibilities
- Design, maintain, and support instrumentation and control systems (60% of duties).
- Operate and maintain control and monitoring systems daily (15% of duties).
- Develop diagrams, drawings, and documentation for systems (10% of duties).
- Apply controls theory to refine and improve legacy and new system designs (15% of duties).
- Test systems, diagnose failures, and make repairs when needed.
- Work with scientific, engineering, and technical staff to develop solutions for projects.
- Communicate designs through presentations and provide materials for reviews.
Benefits
- Comprehensive benefit program for eligible employees.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
