Director Instrumentation, Control, and Electrical – Power Conversion

The role

The Director of IC&E for Power Conversion owns the full instrumentation, control, and electrical architecture for the HTGR power conversion system. This includes R&D, rig design, test facility construction, commissioning, and integrated plant operation.

What you will do

• Own the IC&E design basis for the primary to secondary coolant loop Brayton cycle power conversion unit
• Define instrumentation strategy for high-speed rotating machinery
• Develop control system architecture for turbomachinery startup, shutdown, load following, trip logic, and speed/load governing
• Lead IC&E design for development generator sets
• Establish electrical power distribution design for the power conversion facility
• Lead IC&E scope for the design and construction of turbomachinery development and test facilities
• Own IC&E commissioning planning and execution
• Establish instrumentation calibration programs, measurement uncertainty budgets, and data quality standards
• Build, lead, and mentor the power conversion IC&E engineering team
• Manage IC&E scope, schedule, and budget

Required qualifications

• 15+ years of engineering experience in instrumentation, control systems, and/or electrical design for rotating machinery, turbomachinery, or high-performance industrial systems
• Demonstrated hands-on experience with turbomachinery control systems
• Experience leading IC&E scope on test facilities, development rigs, or capital construction projects
• Strong foundation in electrical systems design: switchgear, motor drives, protection and controls, and facility power distribution
• Experience managing IC&E teams and vendor relationships across multiple project phases

Nice to have

• Experience with high-speed generators, excitation systems, and power conversion electronics
• Background in Brayton cycle, gas turbine, or compressor-expander systems
• Familiarity with helium or other working fluid systems and associated instrumentation challenges
• Experience with high-bandwidth data acquisition systems and dynamic measurement in rotating machinery applications
• Nuclear industry experience, commercial, defense, or national laboratory
• Knowledge of relevant standards: API 670, IEEE 1023, IEC 61511, NFPA 70/79
• PE license (Instrumentation, Control, or Electrical)

Benefits

• Competitive base salary
• Equity ownership
• Comprehensive medical benefits
• Unlimited PTO
• Free daily lunch and dinner provided onsite
• Generous PPE stipend

Before you apply

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

About the company

Valar Atomics aims to make clean, high-temperature nuclear power scalable. Their first pilot plant will be in Orangeville, Utah.