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Senior Instrumentation & Controls Engineer - Control Room Systems & HMI

Valar Atomics

Valar Atomics

Hawthorne, NJ, USA
USD 165k-195k / year
Posted on Feb 10, 2026

Senior Instrumentation & Controls Engineer – Control Room Systems & HMI

The Senior Instrumentation & Controls Engineer – Control Room Systems & HMI is responsible for the design and implementation of the plant control room, including operator interfaces, human-machine interaction, and integration with Plant Control and SCADA systems. This role leads the architecture of the control room environment to ensure safe, intuitive, and efficient plant operations, with a strong focus on human factors engineering, situational awareness, and operational reliability.

Key Responsibilities

  • Lead the design and buildout of the plant control room, including operator consoles, display layouts, alarm presentation, and system ergonomics.
  • Architect operator interface strategies across HMI, SCADA, and plant control platforms.
  • Develop and implement HMI applications for real-time monitoring, control, and diagnostics.
  • Apply human factors engineering principles to improve operator situational awareness, reduce cognitive load, and support safe decision-making.
  • Define control room standards for display hierarchy, navigation, alarm management, color philosophy, and interaction design.
  • Integrate control room systems with PLCs, DCS platforms, historians, and SCADA infrastructure.
  • Collaborate with operations, process engineering, and safety teams to translate operational requirements into effective control room functionality.
  • Support development of control narratives, operating procedures, and alarm response strategies.
  • Lead FAT, SAT, and commissioning of control room systems and operator interfaces.
  • Evaluate and continuously improve control room performance based on operational feedback and event analysis.

Required Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in Electrical, Chemical, Mechanical, Nuclear, or related Engineering discipline.
  • 8–12+ years of experience in instrumentation & controls engineering within industrial or process environments.
  • Experience designing HMI/SCADA systems and operator interfaces for complex facilities.
  • Strong understanding of plant control systems, including PLCs, DCS platforms, and historian integration.
  • Familiarity with human factors engineering principles and control room design practices.
  • Ability to develop display standards, alarm philosophies, and operator workflows.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Experience designing or modernizing industrial or nuclear control rooms.
  • Experience with FactoryTalk View SE/ME, PlantPAx, or comparable SCADA/DCS platforms.
  • Familiarity with ISA-101 (HMI), ISA-18.2 (alarm management), and related industry standards.
  • Background supporting commissioning and operator training.

Salary

$165,000 - $195,000 USD