Senior Instrumentation & Controls Engineer - Control Room Systems & HMI

About Valar Atomics

At Valar Atomics, we're redefining what's possible in energy. Our mission is to make clean, high-temperature nuclear power scalable—unlocking abundant energy for industry, hydrogen, and next-generation manufacturing. We are a team of builders, engineers, and operators who believe nuclear energy should be fast to deploy, factory-made, and built for the real world. Our first pilot plant in Orangeville, Utah will demonstrate how advanced nuclear systems and fuel fabrication can power the future. Joining Valar Atomics means becoming part of a company where autonomy, ownership, and impact exist at every level.

The Role

The Senior Instrumentation & Controls Engineer – Control Room Systems & HMI is responsible for the design and implementation of the plant control room, including operator interfaces, human-machine interaction, and integration with Plant Control and SCADA systems. You'll lead the architecture of the control room environment to ensure safe, intuitive, and efficient plant operations, with a strong focus on human factors engineering, situational awareness, and operational reliability. The work directly shapes how operators experience and run our reactor and fuel systems day-to-day.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design and buildout of the plant control room, including operator consoles, display layouts, alarm presentation, and system ergonomics.
• Architect operator interface strategies across HMI, SCADA, and plant control platforms.
• Develop and implement HMI applications for real-time monitoring, control, and diagnostics.
• Apply human factors engineering principles to improve operator situational awareness, reduce cognitive load, and support safe decision-making.
• Define control room standards for display hierarchy, navigation, alarm management, color philosophy, and interaction design.
• Integrate control room systems with PLCs, DCS platforms, historians, and SCADA infrastructure.
• Collaborate with operations, process engineering, and safety teams to translate operational requirements into effective control room functionality.
• Support development of control narratives, operating procedures, and alarm response strategies.
• Lead FAT, SAT, and commissioning of control room systems and operator interfaces.
• Evaluate and continuously improve control room performance based on operational feedback and event analysis.

You Will Be Successful in This Role If

• You design from the operator outward, treating situational awareness and decision support as the primary objectives rather than afterthoughts.
• You bring strong technical judgment to control room architecture, integrating HMI, SCADA, and DCS platforms cleanly rather than stitching them together.
• You apply human factors principles consistently, with a clear philosophy for displays, alarms, and navigation that holds up across the plant.
• You partner effectively with operations, process engineering, and safety teams, translating their needs into functional design.
• You communicate clearly and document thoroughly, leaving standards and design intent that survive into commissioning and steady-state operation.
• You take ownership through commissioning and beyond, refining the control room based on real operational feedback rather than walking away at handoff.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Chemical, Mechanical, Nuclear, or related Engineering discipline.
• 8–12+ years of experience in instrumentation and controls engineering within industrial or process environments.
• Experience designing HMI and SCADA systems and operator interfaces for complex facilities.
• Strong understanding of plant control systems, including PLCs, DCS platforms, and historian integration.
• Familiarity with human factors engineering principles and control room design practices.
• Ability to develop display standards, alarm philosophies, and operator workflows.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Experience designing or modernizing industrial or nuclear control rooms.
• Experience with FactoryTalk View SE/ME, PlantPAx, or comparable SCADA/DCS platforms.
• Familiarity with ISA-101 (HMI), ISA-18.2 (alarm management), and related industry standards.
• Background supporting commissioning and operator training.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Valar Atomics is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable law.

We are committed to providing a workplace free of discrimination and harassment and will provide reasonable accommodation as required by law.

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States as a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident (green card holder).