Back to jobs
New

Instrumentation and Controls Test Engineer

Alameda, CA

Company Overview

Kairos Power is a new nuclear energy technology and engineering company whose mission is to enable the world’s transition to clean energy, with the ultimate goal to dramatically improve people’s quality of life while protecting the environment. This goal will be accomplished through the commercialization of the fluoride-salt-cooled, high-temperature reactor (FHR) that can be deployed with robust safety, affordable costs, and flexible operation to accommodate the expansion of variable renewables.

Job Summary

Kairos Power is seeking an Instrumentation and Controls Test Engineer who will be responsible for designing, installing, programming, testing and troubleshooting automation and controls systems for R&D testing equipment in Alameda, CA. In this role, you will contribute to the development programs for the Kairos Power Fluoride Salt-Cooled High Temperature Reactor (KP-FHR). The ideal candidate has cross-discipline competence, with an understanding of both mechanical design and electrical design. The successful candidate in this role will have a direct impact on the productivity of the Engineering Test team and of the broader Kairos Power organization. In addition, Kairos expects that the successful candidate will demonstrate technical leadership on complex projects and will extend their technical experience as a mentor to colleagues.

Responsibilities

  • Perform design, installation and test of instrumentation and control systems and associated components (heater controllers, valve control panels, instrument/sensor acquisition, etc.) for test equipment in our Alameda, CA facility
  • Specify sensors, wiring, signal conditioning, data acquisition equipment, and controllers for system equipment
  • Design interconnect wiring systems to one-line drawing
  • Perform and supervise installation and test of instrumentation and controls on test systems
  • Advise and train technicians to wire and build control panels and troubleshoot equipment
  • Create equipment electrical schematics
  • Provide technical leadership on complex instrumentation projects that bridge multiple engineering disciplines
  • Interpret technical challenges related to Engineering Test and recommend solutions and best practices
  • Solve complex problems using a broad perspective to identify solutions
  • Guide others in resolving complex issues regarding data acquisition, instrumentation, and control of electromechanical systems
  • Maintain a personal focus to execute on Engineering Test deliverables
  • Act as a mentor for colleagues
  • Other duties as assigned

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Engineering, Physical Sciences or related field with 7+ years of relevant engineering experience, or Master of Science (MS) degree with 5+ years of relevant engineering experience
  • Demonstrates ability to make strategic decisions
  • Extensive experience in managing complex problems 
  • Electrical Engineering (EE) Professional Engineering license in CA preferred
  • Experience in designing, fabricating and assembling custom heater controllers preferred
  • Experience creating electrical schematics
  • Experience with Labview data acquisition and control system software preferred
  • Understanding of technical fundamentals of sensors for measuring: force, torque, displacement, fluid flow, pressure, temperature, motor position, motor speed, etc.
  • Experience with motors and motor controllers
  • Solid grasp of mechanical engineering fundamentals
  • CAD experience preferred (Solidworks is a bonus)
  • Ability to work with highly collaborative team
  • Ability to problem solve quickly and efficiently 
  • Ability to proactively collect, manage and transfer knowledge
  • Ability to seek different and novel ways to create efficiencies when working on problems, challenges and issues
  • Prioritizes and ensures safety of oneself and others

Physical Conditions

  • Adjusting, moving, transporting, installing, positioning, or removing objects up to 20 pounds in all directions
  • Communicating with others to exchange information

Environmental Conditions

  • Accessing the accuracy, neatness and thoroughness of the work assigned
  • High-concentration, demanding and fast-paced

Safety and PPE 

  • Reading and interpreting hazardous warning signs
  • Reporting issues with equipment or unsafe conditions
  • Wearing proper PPE, to include face mask, face shields, gloves, safety shoes

Travel 

  • Some travel may be required (up to 10%)

Additional Requirements

  • Occasionally requires working weekends 
  • Occasionally requires schedule flexibility
  • Occasionally requires extended hours to support launch and critical project timelines

The salary range for this position is $112,300 to $143,800 for employees working onsite at our Alameda, CA headquarters. The range provided in this job posting represents the typical range or starting rate of candidates hired in California. Factors that may be used to determine your actual salary may include your education, experience, knowledge, skills, abilities, the market data for your work location, and a comparison to other employees already in the role.

#LI-Onsite

About our Benefits

We know that we have some of the most talented and dedicated employees, and we believe in rewarding them accordingly. If you work here, full-time employees (excludes interns) expect to have access to the benefits below:

  • Competitive compensation packages
  • Medical, dental and vision benefits for employees and their dependents
  • Paid Vacation
  • 401(k) and pre-tax health insurance, dependent care, and commuter benefits (FSA)

Kairos Power is committed to building a diverse workforce that reflects the communities where we do business. Kairos Power is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. We actively welcome people of different experiences, abilities, and perspectives.

Kairos Power participates in E-Verify.

Candidates only, no recruiters or agencies please.

Note: You are applying for a position that is located in a facility that handles information that is subject to export control restrictions by the Department of Energy under 10 CFR Part 810. To work in this facility, you need to be authorized by the Department of Energy to access Part 810-controlled information. Foreign nationals who are citizens of countries that are not on the Department of Energy’s general authorization list (link below) are not permitted to work in our facility unless the Department of Energy issues an export control license to the company to permit that individual to have access to Part 810-controlled information. The following questions are intended to determine the licensing requirements that may apply. https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/10/appendix-A_to_part_810

Apply for this job

*

indicates a required field

Resume/CV*

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Cover Letter

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Education

Select...
Select...
Select...

Please provide contact information of 3 professional references. Include at minimum 1 direct supervisor or manager.

Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in Kairos Power’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Select...
Select...
Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305
Page 1 of 1
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 04/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury
Select...

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.