Principal Instrumentation & Controls (I&C) Engineer

About Us
Alta is reinventing how the world sources critical minerals — using protein-based chemistry to extract rare earth elements and other essential materials from challenging feedstocks with unmatched selectivity. By dramatically reducing the cost and environmental impact of mineral separation, Alta is making it possible to unlock new sources of supply for 21st-century technologies. As global demand accelerates, securing these materials has become one of the most urgent challenges facing U.S. competitiveness and national security. Backed by top investors and government partners, Alta is growing fast and hiring mission-driven scientists and engineers to help us scale our platform and transform the future of mining.

How we work

Speed is part of our DNA. We’re building first-of-a-kind technology and facilities, which means the path isn’t always mapped. We’re comfortable with ambiguity: making sound, timely decisions guided by clear priorities, adapting quickly as we learn, and keeping a relentless focus on moving our business forward. We commit to fixed milestones on compressed timelines and hold ourselves accountable without compromising on safety or rigor.

Principal Instrumentation & Controls (I&C) Engineer

Reports to: VP Engineering 

Role Summary

Alta is seeking a talented Instrumentation & Controls Engineer to join our growing Engineering and Operations team. This role will lead operational support, maintenance efforts and design efforts across all scales and projects, which include R&D activities, pilot plant operation, demonstration plant operation, and design of upcoming commercial plants. This role will help form the technical know-how and systems to Engineer Commercial Scale Plants and Licensing Packages. This role will be a key contributor to our innovation pipeline. 

A successful candidate should have experience with equipment and process design in the Chemicals, Petrochemicals, Oil & Gas, Biotech, and/or Mining Process Industries; having worked for operating companies, EPCs and/or licensors. A successful candidate is one who can both jump in and troubleshoot problems on their own and also elevate to provide technical leadership and oversight over the discipline. There should be a strong desire to collaborate across disciplines including chemistry, biology, operations and engineering.

Key Responsibilities

Operational & Maintenance support of R&D Assets

• This role will own operational support, maintenance, reliability, continuous improvement and design of all EIC (Electrical, Instrumentation, Controls) and Operations Technology (OT) equipment and systems at R&D scale (pilot and demonstration scale plants)
• Provide hands on technical support and troubleshooting for instrumentation, analyzers, controls, PLC/SCADA, electrical systems and other Operations Technology (OT) equipment and systems 
• Set up and manage all aspects of PLC/SCADA, instrumented safety systems, alarm management and data historian 
• Create and manage maintenance strategies for all Instrumentation, Electrical, Controls and OT equipment including reactive and preventive maintenance strategies, sparing strategies, redundancy, availability and maintainability 
• Commission instrumentation and control systems on the demonstration plant, including loop checks, calibration verification, improving instrumentation and troubleshooting EIC problems that are found during commissioning 
• Liaise with and manage equipment vendors for EIC commissioning activities 
• Drive reliability initiatives and continuous improvement through performance analysis and root cause investigations 
• Configure and troubleshoot VFDs, control valves, actuators, and motor controls 
• Support operations with loop tuning 

Design & Engineering

• Liaison with EPC/EPCM to manage all EIC and OT related activities 
• Lead vendor evaluation and engagement from EIC and OT perspectives  
• Specify and size field instrumentation/analyzers (e.g. flow, level, pressure, temperature, density, pH, ORP, CEMS, BMS, conductivity etc.) 
• Specify PLC/DCS/SIS requirements and the network architecture 
• Develop design information such as control narratives, cause-and-effect matrices, instrument index, I/O lists, I&E schedules, loop diagrams, single-line diagrams and etc 
• Develop company control systems strategies such as control system architecture selection, SIS requirements, level of automation, control room requirements, etc
• Develop company and Engineering standards for EIC and OT to support all commercial scale projects 

• Lead FAT/SAT and loop checks during commercial plant construction and commissioning 
• Coordinate electrical engineering activities on electrical equipment selection, sizing and development of specifications. Review grounding and hazardous area classification for field devices 

Required Qualifications

• B.S. in Instrumentation, Electrical, Controls, or Chemical Engineering
• 7+ years I&C experience in industrial/chemical processing; chemicals, petrochemicals, oil & gas, hydrometallurgical, mining, and/or biotechnology 
• Working knowledge of DCS/PLC platforms, field instrumentation selection and troubleshooting 
• Working knowledge of ladder logic, structured text and function blocks 
• Working knowledge of control loop tuning 
• Working knowledge of various industrial protocols including OPC UA, Modbus RTU/TCP, Serial, Ethernet/IP
• Have demonstrated both hands-on experience and technical leadership 

Preferred Qualifications

• Working knowledge of Rockwell Studio 5000, Logix family of controllers, and Ignition 
• Working knowledge of DeviceNet, ControlNet, Profibus, Fieldbus etc. 
• Chemical process control (Batch and ISA88) 
• Industrial Cybersecurity (ISA99, IEC62443)
• Working knowledge of IEC-61511 (ISA-84) 
• Experience supporting scale-up from lab/pilot to demonstration to commercial plant
• PE license a plus, not required
• Project Management capabilities 

Working Environment

Early-stage capital project in front-end engineering; role requires flexibility across design, testwork support, and eventual commissioning as the project progresses through FID toward construction and startup.

Travel is required for partner meetings (EPCMs, vendors, others) and manufacturing site visits. 

Compensation and Benefits

The starting pay range for this position is $145,000 - $175,000, commensurate with educational background and work experience. 

Benefits include:

• 401(K) 
• Medical, Dental, Vision plans (or equivalent) 
• Flexible Time Off 
• Paid Parental Leave 
• Paid Sick Leave 
• Company Holidays

Certain project activities require advance approval from the U.S. Government sponsor before individuals who are not U.S. citizens may participate. Alta will coordinate this process as needed.

EOE

Alta Resource Technologies is an equal opportunity employer committed to building a workforce that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve. We believe that varied perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds strengthen our team and drive better outcomes for our clients and partners.

We welcome and encourage applications from all qualified individuals regardless of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Our hiring decisions are based solely on qualifications, merit, and the needs of the business. Alta participates in e-Verify for all positions. 

If you require accommodations at any point in the hiring process, please let your recruiter know.

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