Reactor Project Instrumentation and Controls Engineer

$109,260 - $233,908/Yr

Idaho National Laboratory - Idaho Falls, ID

Full-time - Mid Level

Idaho Falls, ID

5,001-10,000 employees

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

About the position

Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is seeking a Reactor Project Instrumentation and Controls Engineer to join our Reactor Project Engineering department. This position is based at our Materials and Fuels Complex, where we operate on a 4x10 schedule, allowing for every Friday off. INL is recognized as the lead national laboratory for the Department of Energy's Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) initiatives, providing essential research, development, and demonstration capabilities to advance nuclear innovation towards deployment. The Materials and Fuels Complex hosts a unique combination of personnel, facilities, and infrastructure, enabling comprehensive research and development of nuclear fuels from development and fabrication through post-irradiation analysis. As a Reactor Project Instrumentation and Controls Engineer, you will be responsible for providing engineering expertise in instrumentation and controls for a novel advanced reactor design project. This role involves applying engineering principles to research, develop, install, and maintain the equipment and systems necessary for managing advanced nuclear reactors. You will design safety-related reactor control systems, including the reactor protection system, and prepare releasable drawings, calculations, and specifications for electrical or mechanical instrumentation and controls, such as Distributed Control Systems and Programmable Logic Controllers. You will collaborate with a diverse team of scientists and engineers to decompose project goals into defined and controlled design requirements using a systems engineering approach. This includes utilizing digital engineering tools for tracking requirements and design parameters. Your responsibilities will also encompass developing physics-based mathematical models of mechanical, chemical, and electrical systems to support and verify design, establishing testing, inspection, and quality requirements, and ensuring that fabrication, construction, assembly, and procurement adhere to the design specifications. Additionally, you will maintain high-quality data and analysis generated by the instruments to meet customer and user needs, while keeping abreast of new technologies and applications relevant to the nuclear industry.

Responsibilities

• Provide instrumentation and controls engineering for a novel advanced reactor design project.
• Design safety-related reactor control systems including the reactor protection system.
• Prepare releasable drawings, calculations, and specifications for electrical or mechanical instrumentation and controls.
• Work with a diverse team of scientists and engineers on a novel advanced reactor design.
• Decompose project goals into defined and controlled design requirements using a systems engineering approach.
• Apply digital engineering tools for tracking requirements and design parameters.
• Use best practice design methodologies, technologies, and processes to develop and validate designs.
• Identify requirements and commercially available technologies that meet specific specifications.
• Develop physics-based mathematical models of mechanical, chemical, and electrical systems to support and verify design.
• Establish testing, inspection, and quality requirements to ensure technical features are maintained.
• Oversee fabrication, construction, assembly, and procurement to ensure adherence to design.
• Document the design to establish conformance with design requirements and applicable codes and standards.
• Ensure high quality of data and analysis generated by the instruments.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree with 5 years of experience, Master's degree with 2 years of experience, or PhD with 2 years of experience.
• Bachelor's degree with 9 years of experience, Master's degree with 6 years of experience, or PhD with 4 years of experience.
• Relevant experience functioning as a project lead, project manager, or in a lead role as determined by level.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Department of Energy 'Q' clearance, requiring US Citizenship.

Benefits

• Medical, Dental, Vision, and Flexible Spending Accounts
• 401(k) with a 4.2% employer contribution and up to 4.8% match
• Paid time off (personal leave)
• Employee Education Program (tuition assistance)
• Comprehensive Relocation Package