Instrumentation & Controls Engineer

Thanks for your interest in Oklo! We are searching for an Instrumentation & Controls Engineer to join our team in Idaho Falls.

Position Description

Oklo is transforming the future of energy, and we are looking for an experienced Instrumentation & Controls Engineer to lead and support the design, integration, commissioning, and operation of instrumentation and control systems for test platforms used in advanced nuclear technology development.

In this role, you will translate test and process requirements into reliable measurement, control, data-acquisition, and protective functions. You will work closely with test, process, mechanical, electrical, software, quality, and operations personnel throughout the full system lifecycle, from concept development and equipment selection through fabrication, testing, startup, troubleshooting, and configuration management with travel up to 10%.

The ideal candidate combines strong engineering fundamentals with hands-on field experience and broad knowledge of industrial instrumentation. Strong familiarity with the Emerson DeltaV distributed control system is preferred. Experience working under a nuclear quality assurance program, particularly ASME NQA-1, is also preferred.

Specific responsibilities may include:

• I&C System Design and Architecture: Develop control-system architectures, functional requirements, I/O strategies, network concepts, and interfaces for test platforms and supporting facility systems.
• Instrumentation Engineering: Select and specify instruments for temperature, pressure, flow, level, position, force, strain, vibration, and other process or test measurements. Evaluate accuracy, range, response time, environmental suitability, installation requirements, and measurement uncertainty.
• Control System Development: Develop, configure, and verify control logic, control modules, operator graphics, alarms, interlocks, permissives, sequences, and data-acquisition functions using distributed control systems, programmable logic controllers, and related platforms. Able to develop new system architecture.
• Engineering Documentation: Prepare and maintain I/O lists, instrument indexes, data sheets, loop diagrams, wiring diagrams, control narratives, logic diagrams, network drawings, alarm setpoint documentation, test procedures, and as-built records.
• Test Platform Integration: Coordinate the integration of instruments, control panels, remote I/O, analyzers, control valves, electrical interfaces, industrial networks, and data systems with mechanical and process equipment.
• Commissioning and Verification: Develop and execute design-verification activities, factory and site acceptance tests, loop checks, functional tests, calibration reviews, control-system checkout, and startup plans.
• Test Operations and Troubleshooting: Support test readiness reviews and test execution. Diagnose instrumentation, controls, electrical, communications, software, and data-acquisition issues, perform root-cause investigations, and implement technically sound corrective actions.
• Procurement and Supplier Oversight: Develop technical specifications, evaluate vendor proposals, review supplier submittals, support procurement, and verify that equipment and services meet technical and quality requirements.
• Design and Configuration Control: Manage design changes, software and hardware configurations, setpoints, drawings, calculations, and technical records in accordance with applicable engineering and quality requirements.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, nuclear engineering, or a related technical field.
• Experience designing, specifying, procuring, commissioning, or troubleshooting process and mechanical equipment.
• Experience preparing or reviewing piping and instrumentation diagrams, process-flow diagrams, equipment data sheets, engineering calculations, technical specifications, and vendor drawings.
• Working knowledge of pumps, valves, piping, heat exchangers, tanks, pressure equipment, heaters, or similar process components.
• Ability to perform fluid-flow, pressure-drop, heat-transfer, and equipment-sizing calculations.
• Ability to lift, move, and position equipment weighing up to 30 pounds.

Bonus Qualifications:

• Strong familiarity with the Emerson DeltaV distributed control system, including system architecture, controllers, I/O, configuration, graphics, alarms, control modules, batch or sequence functions, and troubleshooting.
• Experience designing or supporting thermal-hydraulic, mechanical, chemical, high-temperature, high-pressure, or liquid-metal test systems.
• Experience working in nuclear, aerospace, defense, pharmaceutical, chemical processing, power generation, or another highly regulated industry.
• Familiarity with functional safety, safety instrumented systems, alarm management, or control-system cybersecurity practices.
• Familiarity with ASME NQA-1 requirements, particularly requirements related to design control, software control, test control, calibration, procurement, document control, and configuration management.
• Professional Engineer licensure, Engineer-in-Training certification, or relevant controls or automation certification.

Competencies

• Instrumentation and Controls Engineering: Strong understanding of industrial measurement, process control, control-system architecture, signal conditioning, data acquisition, and equipment integration.
• Control System Knowledge: Practical experience with distributed control systems, programmable logic controllers, human-machine interfaces, alarm management, control loops, industrial networks, and test-control hardware.
• Practical Engineering Judgment: Ability to develop systems that can be fabricated, installed, calibrated, operated, maintained, and modified safely and effectively.
• Analytical and Detail-Oriented: Able to evaluate system behavior, identify failure modes, resolve technical issues, and maintain accurate engineering and configuration records.
• Communication and Collaboration: Able to clearly communicate requirements, design decisions, risks, and operating conditions to engineers, technicians, suppliers, quality personnel, and test operators.
• Process Development: Able to develop and author process and procedure guidance for testing programs and operations.
• Adaptability: Comfortable working in a fast-paced development environment where priorities, system configurations, and test requirements may evolve.

Who you are:

A startup person: You aren't driven by titles or hierarchy, and prefer efficiency to excess process. You don't need or expect to have a lot of guidance but you enjoy working in a fast-paced team. If you prefer the culture and feel of a large organization, that is great, but you likely won’t enjoy working with us! There is plenty of important work and plenty of good opportunities with organizations like that.

Motivated: You are self-motivated. You bring an enthusiasm to the team, and imbue a sense of passion that goes beyond clocking in and clocking out. This isn’t about a fake or arbitrary “pieces of flair” mentality or lack of work-life balance! It is about being a part of the vision and feeling a part of reaching team goals.

A team-player: Oklo genuinely is a team. We aren’t about taking credit for ourselves, and we aren’t about pushing blame to others. We do incredible things because we work as a team.

An excellent communicator: We need a person who is not only technically competent but also a clear and upbeat communicator.

Creative: Being creative means that when things fall outside clear scopes or processes or problems arise without clear solutions, you are able to identify it as well as invent ways to solve a problem or fill a need without micromanagement. The successful person in this job will not only be creative, but also enjoy being creative and solving open-ended problems which may change day-by-day.

Detail-oriented: This focus is a big part of excellence, consistency, and quality. Excellent grammar and spelling matter for both good communication as well as the image of the company that we put forward.

About Oklo travel requirements:

Oklo requires remote employees to travel to headquarters (Santa Clara, CA) twice a quarter annually, based on business or team needs, including attendance at team meetings, off-sites, and other company events or gatherings. For the first two weeks of onboarding, employees are required to be in person at headquarters in Santa Clara, CA.

About Oklo compensation:

Salary: $90,000-$150,000

Salary may fall outside of the range provided and will be dependent on applicant experience.

Oklo offers flexible time off, equity, bonuses, competitive pay, 401(k), health insurance (with employer contribution), HSA, FSA, flexible work hours, wellness credits, and other benefits.

This position may involve access to information subject to U.S. export control laws. Only applicants who meet the definition of a U.S. person under applicable laws may be eligible.

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About Oklo Inc.: Oklo Inc. is developing fast fission power plants to deliver clean, reliable, and affordable energy at scale; establishing a domestic supply chain for critical radioisotopes; and advancing nuclear fuel recycling to convert nuclear waste into clean energy. Oklo was the first to receive a site use permit from the U.S. Department of Energy for a commercial advanced fission plant, was awarded fuel material from Idaho National Laboratory, and submitted the first custom combined license application for an advanced reactor to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Oklo is also developing advanced fuel recycling technologies in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. National Laboratories.

#CHOP: Oklo’s Values
Collaboration: We go further, together. We bring diverse perspectives, listen actively, and build trust through transparency and respect. We work across disciplines, sharing ownership to turn complex challenges into shared successes.
Humility: We are team players who act for the good of the company and for the world. We are focused on our mission, not personal recognition.
Ownership: We take pride in what we do and how we do it. We are proactive in finding solutions and see tasks through  to completion. We are committed to delivering on our promises to provide clean, reliable, and affordable energy.
Pathfinding: We chart new ground where no path exists by approaching challenges with curiosity, courage, and creativity while navigating ambiguity.