Principal Automation and Controls Engineer

Valar Atomics•Torrance, CA

2d•$196,000 - $240,000

About The Position

Valar Atomics is seeking a Principal Automation and Controls Engineer to own the technical direction of controls software across its reactor program and nuclear fuel manufacturing facilities. The role spans PLC and DCS applications, SCADA and HMI, batch control, alarm management, safety logic, historians and plant data, and enterprise integration. It is focused on architecture, strategy, and design authority rather than routine application development. The Principal Engineer defines control system and plant data architecture and the technology roadmap, holds final technical approval authority within the discipline, directs resolution of high-consequence and novel control problems, and represents the discipline in licensing, cybersecurity, and strategic vendor engagements. The position also builds the organization’s engineering capability and establishes technical standards and governance. The Automation and Controls team is part of the Instrumentation, Control & Electrical organization and works alongside I&C Hardware, electrical, process, and nuclear safety engineers. The team owns control logic and data systems, including PLC and DCS code, ISA-88 batch sequences, SCADA and HMI applications, historian infrastructure, and enterprise integration. Its approach emphasizes operator-focused design, data integrity, disciplined documentation, and safety. The role supports the nuclear licensing effort, including safety-case content and regulatory interactions, and leads discipline participation in program reviews, safety and cyber assessments, and commissioning and startup readiness reviews. The Principal Engineer advises IC&E leadership on technical risk, resourcing, and sequencing and maintains traceable engineering records consistent with nuclear quality requirements.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical, Electronic, Computer, or Systems Engineering, Computer Science, or a related discipline.
At least 10 years of controls software, PLC/DCS, or SCADA engineering experience in process industries.
End-to-end ownership of controls software scope across multiple major capital projects, including at least one project carried from functional specification through commissioning, startup, and initial operations.
Architecture-level technical leadership defining control system architecture, platform strategy, or software standards and practices adopted across an organization or program.
Recognized technical authority in at least one deep discipline area, demonstrated through design authority roles, published work, standards participation, or a verifiable reputation as a final technical reference.
Hands-on command of PLC/DCS application architecture using IEC 61131-3 languages, SCADA and HMI systems, ISA-88 batch, ISA-18.2 alarm management, historians and data modelling, enterprise integration, and software configuration management.
Substantial safety application software experience under IEC 61511, including formal validation regimes and approval or independent-review authority over safety logic.
Working command of OT cybersecurity architecture under IEC 62443 or NIST SP 800-82 sufficient to own and defend control system security strategy.
Experience directing and developing other engineers, including senior engineers, and formally checking or approving their work as a design authority.
Experience representing an engineering discipline to external parties such as regulators, assessors, certification bodies, major platform vendors, or client design authorities.
Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States as a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident (green card holder).

Nice To Haves

Professional Engineer (PE) license.
ISA Certified Automation Professional (CAP), platform certifications, or equivalent credentials.
Nuclear digital I&C experience, including software qualification under NQA-1 or 10 CFR 50 Appendix B, digital I&C safety-case content, or familiarity with IEC 61513, IEC 60880, or IEEE 7-4.3.2.
Experience defining control system architecture for first-of-a-kind or prototype plants without established precedent.
Experience leading or defending cybersecurity assessments of industrial control systems.
Experience with virtualized or containerized control system infrastructure at an architecture and lifecycle-strategy level.
Participation in industry standards committees or working groups such as ISA, IEEE, or IEC.
Experience with GAMP 5 or 21 CFR Part 11 regulated software validation environments.

Responsibilities

Define and own the control system architecture and technology roadmap for the reactor program and fuel manufacturing facilities, including PLC/DCS, SCADA, SIS, HMI, controller and server segregation, and plant data architecture.
Author and own discipline philosophy and basis documents covering control system architecture, alarms, HMI, batch architecture, software validation and testing, and configuration management and change control.
Direct control strategy development for first-of-a-kind plant problems, including trade studies, platform evaluations, prototyping, and validation strategies.
Own the standards program by setting priorities and frameworks for coding standards, templates, displays, alarms, and testing; approve standards for release and drive consistency across projects and sites.
Evaluate emerging controls and data technologies and determine what should be adopted, piloted, or excluded, balancing innovation with nuclear quality and long-term supportability.
Serve as the controls software discipline design authority, approving architecture decisions, safety-significant applications, standards deviations, and concessions, and adjudicating technical disputes.
Own the technical integrity of safety application software under IEC 61511, including development and validation regimes, independence and review requirements, and approval of safety-significant software changes.
Own software quality governance, including assurance for in-house, contractor, and integrator code; audit and surveillance approaches; and application acceptance criteria.
Lead discipline engagement in major program reviews, including design reviews, safety case and licensing reviews, cyber assessments, and software readiness reviews for commissioning and startup.
Direct root-cause investigations of significant software-related events and approve corrective-action strategies, ensuring findings inform architecture, standards, and training.
Personally execute or lead engineering on highly consequential or novel problems requiring the discipline’s most senior technical judgment.
Support nuclear licensing as the senior controls software representative, contributing to and defending digital I&C and software safety-case content and supporting regulatory interactions and audits.
Represent Valar Atomics to strategic controls platform vendors and system integrators; manage platform relationships, roadmap influence, qualification expectations, and escalation of systemic quality issues.
Represent the company in relevant industry and standards forums and bring developments in digital I&C, cybersecurity, and standards into company strategy.
Build engineering capability by defining competencies, shaping role definitions and the technical career ladder with the Director, setting hiring standards, and leading technical interviews for senior roles.
Mentor staff and senior engineers toward independent technical authority through delegated ownership and oversight.
Advise IC&E leadership on technical risk, resourcing, and program sequencing, and provide independent judgment on schedule and cost pressures affecting software quality and safety.
Maintain disciplined engineering records and traceability for design decisions, software changes, and test results in accordance with nuclear quality requirements.

Benefits

Competitive base salary
Equity ownership
Comprehensive medical benefits
Unlimited PTO
Free daily lunch and dinner provided onsite
Generous PPE stipend
High-impact startup environment with significant ownership and autonomy
Opportunities for rapid career growth and internal advancement
Direct collaboration with experienced operators, engineers, and industry leaders
Opportunity to help build and scale transformative energy technology