Senior Embedded Software Manager

Mainspring Energy; Menlo Park (CA); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 320,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pre-IPO stock options

Benefits package

Job summary

Mainspring Energy is seeking an experienced software leader to guide the embedded platform team building real-time, Linux-based systems for its hybrid local power solutions.

You will define the long-term technical roadmap, mentor engineers, and partner with product and QA to deliver robust commercial products. This role offers hybrid onsite+remote work at the Menlo Park HQ with competitive compensation and stock options, supporting a collaborative and fast-moving energy technology environment.

Qualifications

• Experience: 15+ years embedded software development with 4+ years in people management and project leadership.
• Methodologies: Strong background in Agile, Scrum, or Kanban project management.
• Influence: Proven stakeholder management with executives, product VPs, and partners.
• Education: Bachelors in CS, Engineering, or related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership: Define the long-term technical roadmap aligning with business goals.
• Team Leadership: Mentor, supervise, and conduct regular performance reviews.
• Project Management: Oversee the full software lifecycle with milestones and timelines.
• Process and Architecture: Set coding standards, governance, and system reliability.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with PMs, executives, and QA to align goals.
• Technical Guidance: Provide architectural feedback during design reviews.
• Hiring and Growth: Interview and onboard engineers, shaping career paths.

Skills

Leadership

Embedded software

Real-time systems

People management

Roadmapping

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science/Engineering

Job description

About Mainspring

Mainspring Energy manufactures and delivers fuel-flexible, low-emissions local power solutions that rapidly add new capacity and deliver reliable, affordable, and sustainable electric power. The company began commercial shipments of its Mainspring Linear Generators in 2020 and today has hundreds of megawatts in advanced development and field operations for leading Fortune 500 companies, data centers, and utilities. Mainspring also partners with global energy leaders including AEP, NextEra Energy Resources, Schneider Electric, and more.

The core values that ground our work, guide our decisions, and connect us together:

• Pragmatic Optimism
• Excellence without Ego
• Proactive Collaboration

Job Overview

Mainspring Energy’s revolutionary linear generator is a sophisticated robot. Inside the generator is a network of computers combining embedded Linux and real-time bare metal applications. These orchestrate the critical tasks of shaping control signals and collecting data from a wide variety of sensors which make this technology possible. Our embedded platform is rapidly evolving, and we need great managers to lead the engineering team making it happen. If you love leading people to solve challenging technological problems and are passionate about driving an efficient, agile process, then we need you!

Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership: Define the long-term technical roadmap and align engineering deliverables with overarching business goals

• Team Leadership: Supervise, mentor, and guide a team of software engineers, conducting regular one-on-ones and performance reviews

• Project Management: Oversee the full software development lifecycle, setting clear milestones, managing timelines, and removing roadblocks

• Process and Architecture: Drive engineering excellence by defining org-wide standards for code quality, architectural governance, and system reliability

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with product managers, executives, and QA teams to align technical goals with business needs

• Technical Guidance: Provide high-level architectural and technical feedback during design reviews

• Hiring and Growth: Interview, hire, and onboard new engineering talent while building paths for career growth within the team

Qualifications

• Experience: 15+ years embedded software development experience (real-time a plus) including 4+ years of people management, and project management experience delivering multiple commercial products

• Methodologies: Strong background in Agile, Scrum, or Kanban project management frameworks

• Influence: Strong stakeholder management skills to negotiate priorities with executives, product VPs, and external partners

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience

Does your experience not meet all of our posted requirements? Studies have shown that some people are less likely to apply to positions unless they meet every listed requirement. At Mainspring, we are committed to building a diverse, inclusive, flexible, and collaborative environment, so if you want to help us transition the world to clean and affordable electricity, and don’t meet all posted requirements for a particular role, we’d still love to hear from you. Mainspring can sometimes be flexible enough to shift responsibilities for the right person, or otherwise identify open or upcoming roles that may better fit your professional background.

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.

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.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.

This position is a hybrid position (onsite + remote) at our Menlo Park HQ. 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.