Talent Bridge: MFC Electrical Engineer – Instrumentation & Controls at Idaho National Laboratory in Idaho Falls, ID, United States

Job description

• Talent Bridge: MFC Electrical Engineer – Instrumentation & Controls
• Location: Materials and Fuels Complex, Idaho National Laboratory
• Schedule: 4 x 10's with every Friday off
• Program Duration: 12 months, with a potential 1-year extension.
• Idaho National Laboratory is seeking a recent Electrical Engineering graduate to join our Instrumentation and Controls team and help advance next-generation systems that power industries, support national security, and ensure America's technological leadership. As a Talent Bridge hire, you will work alongside multidisciplinary teams of scientists and engineers, applying your technical foundation in a world-class nuclear research environment while receiving structured mentorship and accelerated professional development.
• This role is specifically designed for recent Electrical Engineering graduates with coursework or applied experience in instrumentation, controls, and embedded systems, who are ready to make an immediate impact and grow into a long-term engineering career at INL.

Responsibilities

• Work with a multi-disciplinary team of scientists and engineers on challenging work scope. Work with internal and external stakeholders to identify requirements and commercially available technologies that meet specific specifications. Collaborate and partner with other government agencies, academia, and private sector companies to achieve project objectives. Decompose project objectives into defined and controlled design requirements.
• Use design methodologies, technologies, and processes which are best practice for the technical discipline to develop and define a design, and to validate that the design meets defined requirements.
• Develop physics-based mathematical models of mechanical, chemical, and electrical systems to support and verify design.
• Establish testing, inspection, and quality requirements to ensure technical features important to design functions are maintained.
• Oversee or otherwise ensure that fabrication, construction, assembly, and procurement are done in accordance with the design.
• Ensure that analysis needs are recorded and clearly understood. Document the design (controlled and approved models, drawings, specifications, design descriptions) to establish conformance with design requirements and applicable codes and standards.
• Ensure that data and analysis generated by the instruments is of high quality and meets customer and user needs.
• Participate in professional development activities aimed at keeping pace with industry developments. Maintain familiarity with and technical understanding of codes and standards applicable to the discipline.
• Maintain knowledge of newly emerging technologies and applications to the nuclear industry.
• Identify applicable codes, standards, regulations, and procedures.
• Publish and communicate research accomplished on the instrument and instrument improvements to both external and internal audiences with the goal of enhancing the INL’s reputation and building a strong user base for the instrument.
• Generate ideas for new proposals and business development opportunities.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Possess a sharp mechanical aptitude and an instinct for troubleshooting and problem-solving.
• Use scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
• Use logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
• Identify complex problems and review related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
• Understand a wide variety of complex instrumentations and the ability to modify the instrumentation to meet the needs of the researchers.
• Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• Demonstrated ability to use, read, and troubleshoot Python, C++, and MATLAB.
• Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Knowledge of data acquisition systems.
• Knowledge of both analog and digital control systems.
• Knowledge of fundamental feedback control theory and the ability to apply these principles to control respective processes and systems.
• Ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
• Ability to recognize when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong.
• Ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Ability to communicate written and verbal information and ideas so others will understand.
• Ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• This position is a multi-level posting, open to candidates who are recent graduates at either the Bachelor’s or Master’s level:
• Bachelor’s Level
• To qualify, you must have completed your Electrical Engineer with an emphasis in Software Engineering bachelor’s degree within the last 12 months from and from an ABET-accredited institution.
• Master’s Level
• To qualify, you must have completed your Electrical Engineering master’s degree within the last 12 months from and from an ABET-accredited institution.
• Required
• This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a Department of Energy "L" clearance, which requires US Citizenship.
• Applied experience or relevant EE coursework in circuit design, analog and digital electronics, signals and systems, feedback control theory, instrumentation, embedded systems, or data acquisition (DAQ) - gained through lab work, capstone projects, or academic research in an electrical or electromechanical context.
• Applied experience with industrial automation and programming environments through lab work, capstone projects, or academic research, including:
• Graphical and structured programming languages (e.g., NI LabVIEW, PLC languages such as Ladder Logic or Structured Text)
• Automation and HMI platforms (e.g., Rockwell Automation Studio 5000 Logix Designer, FactoryTalk View)
• Standard engineering productivity tools (e.g., Microsoft Office — Word, Excel, Visio)

Skills

Required

• Sharp mechanical aptitude
• Knowledge of data acquisition systems

Benefits

• Mentored environment providing post-degree work experience.
• Opportunities for professional development and training.
• Accelerated knowledge transfer from retiring staff to early career individuals.
• This job offers two salary ranges based on the selected applicant: $66,504 - $90,960 for recent bachelor’s graduates and $79,344 - $108,540 for recent master’s graduates. At Idaho National Laboratory compensation decisions are determined using factors such as education, relevant experience, and other credentials.
• This is a testing designated position; you will be required to submit to a pre-employment drug screen and periodic drug testing throughout the term of your employment.