Lead Electrical and Instrumentation Engineer

The Team

You will lead E&I engineering for Valar Atomics' reactor program within the Instrumentation, Control & Electrical (IC&E) organization. E&I delivers the plant's field layer: the process instrumentation that measures it and the low-voltage electrical systems that power its process and auxiliary equipment. You will work alongside I&C, electrical, mechanical, process, and nuclear safety engineers in a hands-on team that values technical depth, disciplined documentation, cost-conscious design, and safety.

The Role

Valar Atomics is seeking a Lead E&I Engineer to join our reactor program. This is a player-coach role. You will direct and develop E&I engineers, designers, and the contract engineering firms that extend the team, while remaining its most senior hands-on technical voice: specifying instruments, approving drawing packages, and commissioning equipment in the field. You will also write the standards that let a first-of-a-kind nuclear plant be built and maintained with the discipline of a well-run process facility.

Key Responsibilities

Technical Leadership

• Direct, review, and mentor engineers, designers, and contract engineering firms on E&I scope, holding deliverables to Valar standards.
• Own E&I scope, schedule, and budget for assigned systems.
• Support hiring and interview candidates.
• Drive cost-effective design: right-size specifications, standardize equipment, and challenge cost that doesn't buy safety or reliability.

Instrumentation

• Select and specify process instrumentation, analyzers, gas detection, and control and shutdown valves.
• Own the instrument index, data sheets, loop diagrams, and installation details.
• Write control narratives and define I/O requirements with I&C, who owns control system architecture and logic.

Low-Voltage Electrical

• Design LV power distribution for process areas and facilities, including MCCs, VFDs, transformers, heat tracing, and lighting. Coordinate with Electrical Power at the MV/LV interface.
• Produce and approve one-lines, schematics, raceway and cable plans, and grounding plans.
• Own hazardous area classification and the equipment selection and installation practices that follow.

Standards, Vendors, and Process Safety

• Develop E&I design standards, typical installation details, preferred equipment lists, and specification templates.
• Review vendor and skid E&I packages, support bid evaluation, and witness factory acceptance tests.
• Represent E&I in HAZOP, LOPA, and MOC reviews, and maintain records consistent with nuclear quality requirements.

Construction and Commissioning

• Support construction through field walkdowns, inspections, and as-builts.
• Lead E&I commissioning in the field: loop checks, calibration verification, energization, and motor and VFD startup, troubleshooting issues through turnover to operations.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or a closely related discipline.
• 10+ years of E&I engineering experience in process industries, power generation, or comparable industrial facilities.
• Hands-on experience specifying process instrumentation and valves.
• LV electrical design experience for industrial facilities, including motor control, grounding, and hazardous area classification.
• E&I ownership of capital projects from design through field commissioning, including performing or directing loop checks, energization, and startup.
• Experience directing and reviewing the work of other engineers, designers, or contractors.
• Working knowledge of relevant NEC, ISA, API, and IEEE standards and of process safety reviews (HAZOP, LOPA, MOC).
• Working familiarity with DCS and PLC systems at the I/O and control narrative level.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Professional Engineer (P.E.) registration.
• Supervisory or people management experience.
• Experience at nuclear facilities (NQA-1 / 10 CFR 50 Appendix B) or other high-consequence regulated facilities, such as PSM-covered sites.
• Functional safety experience (IEC 61511 / ISA-84).
• A track record of reducing project cost through value engineering or standardization.
• Instrumentation experience in high-temperature or specialty gas service.
• Experience on first-of-a-kind or greenfield programs, including building E&I standards from scratch.

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