Automation & Controls Engineer, Functional Safety
Job description
About the role
General Matter enriches uranium to power the nuclear renaissance and restore America's ability to produce nuclear fuel domestically. We are designing, building, and operating the world's lowest-cost enrichment services here in the US to make nuclear the cleanest, safest, and most affordable baseload energy. Our mission is to enable abundant nuclear energy and contribute to a post-scarcity society, backed by venture capital support and a culture of urgency, accountability, and transparency. This role owns the functional safety lifecycle for safety-critical controls systems that support our industrial operations and nuclear processes. You will serve as the functional safety expert for electrical panels, PLC deployments, instrumentation, interlocks, and safety instrumented systems. You will translate hazardous-process requirements into reliable controls architectures, validated shutdown logic, and field-ready systems that protect people, equipment, and operations.
Key facts
What you'll do
Design, specify, and commission PLC, HMI, SCADA, instrumentation, and safety instrumented systems for hazardous industrial equipment.
Lead functional safety lifecycle activities, including hazard analysis, SIL determination, SRS development, verification, validation, and proof testing.
Develop controls architecture, interlocks, permissives, shutdown logic, cause-and-effect matrices, and alarm strategies.
Support design reviews, HAZOPs, LOPAs, FAT/SAT, commissioning, troubleshooting, and operational readiness.
Produce clear engineering documentation for regulated, safety-critical systems, including requirements, test plans, drawings, and change records.
Work cross-functionally with mechanical, electrical, process, nuclear, operations, and safety teams to deliver reliable facility systems.
Translate hazardous-process requirements into reliable controls architectures and field-ready systems.
Ensure designs comply with applicable safety standards and regulatory requirements throughout the project lifecycle.
Perform safety integrity calculations and verification activities to meet target SIL requirements.
Champion best practices for documentation, traceability, and operational ownership of safety-critical systems.
Requirements
Working knowledge of functional safety standards such as IEC 61508, IEC 61511, ISA 84, or equivalent.
Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Controls, Chemical, Mechanical, Nuclear Engineering, or equivalent experience.
5+ years of experience designing, commissioning, or maintaining industrial automation and control systems.
Hands-on experience with PLCs, HMIs, SCADA, industrial networks, instrumentation, and control panels.
Experience developing and validating interlocks, safety functions, trip logic, and shutdown systems for hazardous processes.
Ability to work on-site with high-hazard equipment and controlled facility environments.
U.S. citizenship or permanent residency required due to sensitive nuclear technology and facility access requirements.
Eligible to obtain a security clearance at the level required by the position, if applicable.
Must be legally authorized to work in the United States without requiring sponsorship for employment authorization at the time of application.
Nice to have
TÜV Functional Safety Engineer certification or equivalent functional safety credential.
Experience with uranium processing, nuclear facilities, chemical plants, test stands, or other high-consequence industrial systems.
Familiarity with NFPA 70 / NEC, UL 508A industrial control panel requirements, panel listing practices, SCCR, grounding, overcurrent protection, and field installation code compliance.
Familiarity with HAZOP, LOPA, SIL verification, FMEA, fault tree analysis, and management of change.
Knowledge of electrical codes, hazardous locations, machine safety, pressure systems, and facility safety practices.
Strong bias toward rigorous engineering, field execution, documentation, and operational ownership.
Practical notes
This is a full-time role based in Los Angeles, California.
The position may require extended hours and weekend work as necessary to meet operational and safety requirements.
Access to controlled facility environments and high-hazard equipment is part of the role.
Candidates must meet eligibility and documentation requirements for facility access and national security considerations as applicable.