Automation and Controls Engineer

The posting, as Valar Atomics wrote it

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 Team

You will be joining Valar Atomics' Automation and Controls Team within the Instrumentation, Control & Electrical (IC&E) organization. I&C Software Engineers own the logic and data layer PLC and DCS application code, ISA-88 batch sequences, SCADA and HMI applications, historian infrastructure, and enterprise integration across the reactor program and fuel manufacturing operations. You will work alongside I&C Hardware, electrical, process, and nuclear safety engineers in an environment that blends traditional control systems with modern software and data integration practice. As an early-career engineer, you will be surrounded by senior, staff, and principal engineers whose job includes developing you. The team values operator-focused design, data integrity, disciplined documentation, and a safety-first culture.

The Role

Valar Atomics is seeking Automation and Controls Engineers to help develop, configure, test, and commission the control system software for our reactor and nuclear fuel manufacturing facilities. Working under the technical direction of senior and staff engineers, you will contribute across the controls software domain PLC programming, SCADA and HMI development, batch control, alarm configuration, historian work, and control system testing, with steadily increasing independence and ownership. This is an early-career position built for growth: you will write real application code that runs a real plant, spend time at panels and in the field during loop checks and commissioning, have your work reviewed and tested by experienced engineers, and learn nuclear-grade software discipline on a first-of-a-kind reactor program. We expect engineers at this level to develop toward independent ownership of controls software scope within their first few years.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and modify PLC and DCS application code on platforms such as Rockwell ControlLogix/CompactLogix, Siemens S7/TIA Portal, or equivalent, using IEC 61131-3 languages, working within established coding standards and template libraries and with structured code review by senior engineers.
• Build and maintain SCADA application content on platforms such as Ignition, FactoryTalk, AVEVA, or WinCC — tag databases, user-defined types, display instances, and scripting — from established templates and standards.
• Develop HMI disp

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ls and Experience

• Platform certification such as Ignition (Core/Gold) or Rockwell/Siemens training credentials.
• Engineer in Training (EIT) designation or passage of the FE exam.
• Internship, co-op, or work experience in process industries, manufacturing, utilities, or system integration.
• Exposure to batch control (ISA-88), alarm management (ISA-18.2), or HMI design (ISA-101) concepts.
• Exposure to plant historians (PI, Ignition Historian, or equivalent) or operational dashboarding.
• Exposure to safety system logic or functional safety testing concepts (IEC 61511).
• Experience with SQL, Python, or REST APIs for data processing or integration.
• Experience with Git or equivalent version control.
• Personal, academic, or professional projects demonstrating hands-on controls, automation, or software work.

What We Offer

• Competitive base salary
• Equity ownership in a rapidly growing advanced energy company
• 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
• The opportunity to help build and scale transformative energy technology from the ground up

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).
Salary
$90,000 — $137,000 USD