Controls Systems Engineer - Small Modular Reactors

Location

Flexible UK (Hybrid Working)

Job Type

Permanent | Full Time

Sector

• Nuclear | Control Systems | EC&I Engineering
• About Westlakes Recruit

Westlakes Recruit is a specialist recruitment partner supporting major programmes across the UK's nuclear, defence and highly regulated engineering sectors.

We are currently recruiting for a

Control Systems Engineer on behalf of a leading engineering consultancy delivering innovative automation, control and instrumentation solutions for complex nuclear projects.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a multidisciplinary engineering team delivering cutting‑edge control systems for some of the UK's most significant nuclear infrastructure programmes.

The Opportunity

We are seeking an experienced

Control Systems Engineer to support the design, development, verification and commissioning of safety-critical control systems across the nuclear sector.

Working as part of an integrated engineering team, you will be responsible for developing control system architectures, PLC and DCS software, and associated documentation while ensuring compliance with nuclear standards and lifecycle requirements.

The role offers exposure to the complete engineering lifecycle, from concept and detailed design through to testing, commissioning and operational support.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop control system architectures, functional designs and automation strategies for nuclear facilities.
• Produce technical documentation including control philosophies, functional design specifications, logic descriptions, cause and effect diagrams and interface specifications.
• Design and configure PLC, DCS and SCADA systems to support safe and reliable plant operation.
• Develop automatic sequences, interlocks, permissives and protection functions.
• Ensure engineering solutions comply with project specifications, industry standards and regulatory requirements.
• Software Development & Integration
• Configure and programme PLC and DCS platforms using recognised programming methodologies.
• Develop structured text, ladder logic, function block diagrams and sequential function charts.
• Integrate control systems with SCADA, HMI platforms, historians, field instrumentation and industrial communication networks.
• Support software lifecycle activities including configuration management, version control and change management.
• Verification & Validation
• Develop verification and validation strategies for control system software.
• Prepare test specifications and support Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT), Site Acceptance Testing (SAT) and commissioning activities.
• Perform peer reviews, software verification, functional testing and simulation activities.
• Ensure software testing demonstrates compliance with project requirements and safety functions.
• Multidisciplinary Collaboration
• Work closely with EC&I, Mechanical, Process, Safety Case and Human Factors Engineers to deliver integrated engineering solutions.
• Participate in design reviews, hazard studies and technical workshops.
• Support clients throughout project delivery, resolving technical queries and providing engineering expertise.
• Maintain effective communication with internal teams, contractors and end clients.
• Maintain engineering configuration and software baselines throughout the project lifecycle.
• Ensure compliance with engineering procedures, coding standards and nuclear quality requirements.
• Apply best practice in alarm management, human‑machine interfaces and system reliability.
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives and engineering innovation.
• Experience delivering control systems engineering projects within nuclear or another highly regulated industry such as defence, energy, pharmaceutical or process manufacturing.
• Strong understanding of PLC, DCS and SCADA system design.
• Experience developing control philosophies, logic diagrams, sequence descriptions and functional specifications.
• Ability to interpret P&IDs, process flow diagrams, safety functional requirements and engineering schematics.
• Experience programming PLC or DCS systems using structured text, ladder logic, function block diagrams or sequential function charts.
• Knowledge of software verification, validation and testing methodologies.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to work effectively within multidisciplinary engineering teams.
• Experience in one or more of the following areas would be advantageous:
• Nuclear new build or decommissioning projects.
• Reactor protection systems or balance of plant control systems.
• Functional Safety and Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS).
• Cyber security for industrial control systems.
• Digital Twin technology.
• Industrial networking and communications protocols.
• Commissioning and operational support.
• Knowledge of Industry Standards
• Experience working with recognised industry standards is desirable, including:
• EEMUA 191
• Relevant ONR guidance and nuclear quality standards.

Qualifications

• Degree in Electrical Engineering, Control Engineering, Instrumentation Engineering, Automation Engineering or a related discipline.
• Chartered Engineer (CEng) status, or actively working towards professional registration, is desirable.
• Security Requirements

Due to the nature of the projects, successful applicants must be eligible to obtain and maintain

BPSS and UK Security Check (SC) clearance . Applicants should also be willing to travel to UK client offices and customer sites as required.

• What's on Offer
• Competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package.
• Flexible hybrid working arrangements.
• Opportunity to work on nationally significant nuclear and defence programmes.
• Structured career progression and professional development.
• Exposure to advanced digital control technologies and automation systems.
• Support towards Chartered Engineer status.
• Payment of professional membership fees.
• Generous annual leave entitlement.
• Retail discounts and employee benefits platform.
• Collaborative engineering environment with opportunities to work alongside industry-leading technical specialists.

Why Apply?

The UK nuclear sector is undergoing unprecedented investment across new build, decommissioning, defence and clean energy programmes.

Control Systems Engineers are at the heart of these projects, delivering the automation and safety systems that enable safe, efficient and reliable operations.

This role provides the opportunity to work on technically complex programmes, develop expertise in nuclear control systems and contribute to engineering solutions that support the UK's critical national infrastructure.

Apply

For a confidential discussion regarding this opportunity, please contact Westlakes Recruit.

Westlakes Recruit is committed to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates.

We are committed to ensuring our recruitment process is accessible and inclusive and will provide reasonable adjustments wherever required throughout the recruitment process.

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