Reliability Test Engineer, Special Projects

Mainspring Energy; Menlo Park (CA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pre-IPO stock options

Benefits

Job summary

Mainspring Energy is seeking a qualified engineer to lead operations and experiments on its Linear Generators. The role involves hands-on troubleshooting, collaboration with engineering disciplines, and data analysis to ensure product reliability. Qualifications include a Master’s degree in a technical field and proficiency in programming (Python/MatLab/C++). This position is based at Mainspring’s facility in Menlo Park, with up to 30% travel to Houston for testing. The role offers a competitive salary and benefits, including stock options.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of applicable experience in product qualification or reliability testing.
• Strong organizational and communication skills.
• Experience communicating with customers/external stakeholders is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Operate Linear Generator units.
• Perform troubleshooting in collaboration with engineering teams.
• Coordinate repairs and retrofits with technicians.
• Review test plans and provide guidance on execution.
• Setup instrumentation to collect critical data.
• Analyze data and communicate results with engineering teams.
• Interface with external stakeholders at testing sites.

Skills

Experimental hardware projects

Project management

Python

MatLab

C++

Data analysis

Root cause analysis

Communication

Education

Master’s degree in mechanical/electrical engineering or physics

Tools

DAQ devices

Instrumentation/sensors

Job description

Mainspring Energy is revolutionizing power generation with the world’s most flexible and adaptable local power generation technology, the Mainspring Linear Generator. Commercial, industrial, and utility leaders are choosing Mainspring over traditional options like engines, turbines, and fuel cells to quickly and reliably deliver local power for EV charging, commercial facilities, data centers, and grid-scale operations.

The Mainspring Linear Generator is fuel flexible, ramps up and down to meet demand, and utilizes a flameless reaction with near-zero NOx emissions. Backed by top-tier investors including Khosla Ventures, Bill Gates, American Electric Power, Lightrock, and General Catalyst, Mainspring designs, manufactures, and delivers its products to customers across the U.S. today, and we’re quickly scaling for international expansion.

Inspired by our vision of an affordable, reliable, net-zero carbon grid, Mainspring is rapidly expanding within the $816B global electricity equipment market, and we’re hiring the best talent to meet growing customer demand around the globe.

Job Overview

The Linear Generator is a sophisticated, automated, and integrated system spanning a wide range of engineering disciplines including thermodynamics, mechanical, electrical, software, and controls. This position will lead the operation and execution of experiments on our Linear Generators as part of Mainspring’s test engineering team. This includes hands‑on work and remote operation of our Linear Generator qualification units, debugging, and data analysis aimed at qualifying new changes and reliability of our product. This position will require travel up to 30% time to our testing site in Houston, Texas.

Responsibilities

• Operate our Linear Generator units
• Perform hands-on troubleshooting working in close collaboration with other engineering disciplines such as Mechanical, Electrical and Software & Controls
• Work directly with technicians to coordinate repairs and retrofits
• Review test plans and provide expert guidance on test setup and execution plan
• Setup and maintain instrumentation to collect critical data
• Manage test priorities on a daily basis to meet higher level deadlines with a focus on throughput and maintaining high uptime
• Analyze data, generate reports and communicate results with engineering teams to facilitate learning and design releases
• Develop & improve processes and infrastructure to support testing on our next generation products
• Interface with external stakeholders at our testing site in Houston, Texas to coordinate service and resolve other issues impacting testing at the site

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, physics, or equivalent with 3+ years of applicable experience
• Proven experience of conducting experimental hardware projects in industrial environment in the context of product qualification or reliability testing
• Strong organizational and communication skills
• Demonstrated proficiency in complex project management in the context of product development
• Proficiency in programming with Python / MatLab / C++ (at least one)
• Advanced data analysis
• Proficiency with root cause analysis methods
• Proficiency with safety protocols / LOTO procedures for high voltage equipment (and other safety critical systems)
• Proficiency with programming DAQ devices / working with a wide variety of instrumentation / sensors
• Experience communicating with customers / external stakeholders is a plus

Location & Travel

This position is onsite at our Menlo Park HQ but may require travel up to 30% for onsite testing in Houston, TX. The salary will be adjusted to reflect local market conditions based on employee location as well as the experience of the employee. Along with the base salary, Mainspring offers pre-IPO stock options + benefits.

Compensation & Benefits

This compensation and benefits information is based on Mainspring Energy's estimate as of the date of publication and may be modified in the future. We generally do not negotiate on salary once we have made an offer. The level of pay within the range will depend on a variety of job-related factors that may include location, relevant prior experience and/or education, or particular skills and expertise. New hires joining the company tend to be paid within the starting base pay range noted above, with opportunities to increase pay over time based on development of additional skills, competencies, and company-specific knowledge.

Equal Opportunity Statement

In more traditional words, Mainspring Energy, Inc is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.