Senior Failure Analysis Engineer

Mainspring Energy; Menlo Park (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pre-IPO stock options

Benefits package

Job summary

Mainspring Energy in Menlo Park seeks a Senior Failure Analysis Engineer with a strong electrical engineering background to own the investigation of electrical failures and translate physics-of-failure insights into hardware improvements.

The role collaborates with design, manufacturing, quality, reliability, and field teams to accelerate FA throughput, build a robust knowledge base, and mentor junior engineers, ensuring reliability of a new class of power generation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a related technical discipline.
• 5–8+ years direct experience in failure analysis, electrical troubleshooting, or reliability engineering.
• Hands-on expertise analyzing EMC/EMI issues and environmental degradation affecting power electronics.
• Proficient in structured problem-solving methodologies (8D, Ishikawa, 5-Why).
• Strong verbal and written communication for FA reports and cross-functional teams.
• Experience coaching or mentoring junior engineers or technicians.

Responsibilities

• Lead hands-on investigations of electrical enclosures and hardware across a range of systems.
• Apply structured root cause analysis to identify failure mechanisms and drive CAPA actions.
• Streamline fault analysis workflows to accelerate throughput for fast-moving product upgrades.
• Collaborate with Design, Manufacturing, Quality, Reliability, and field teams to share FA findings.
• Document diagnostic workflows, teardown procedures, and failure-mode data in a knowledge base.
• Provide mentorship and coaching to less experienced FA engineers and technicians.

Skills

Lead investigations

Root-cause analysis

FA throughput optimization

Cross-functional collaboration

Knowledge base/documentation

Mentor junior engineers

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or Physics

Tools

8D problem solving

Ishikawa diagrams

5-Why analysis

Job description

Our Linear Generator is a sophisticated system integrating a wide range of engineering disciplines, including thermodynamics, mechanical, electrical, software, and controls. To support our rapid transition into volume manufacturing we are actively expanding the scope and size of our Failure Analysis team.

We are looking for a highly motivated Senior Failure Analysis Engineer with a strong electrical engineering background to join us. In this role, you will own the investigation of electrical failures, scaling our FA throughput and translating physics-of-failure insights into hardware improvements. This is a high-visibility and high-impact role where your findings will help steer design iterations, prevent escapes, increase test coverage and help ensure the ultimate reliability of the fundamentally new class of power generation.

Job Overview

Our Linear Generator is a sophisticated system integrating a wide range of engineering disciplines, including thermodynamics, mechanical, electrical, software, and controls. To support our rapid transition into volume manufacturing we are actively expanding the scope and size of our Failure Analysis team.

We are looking for a highly motivated Senior Failure Analysis Engineer with a strong electrical engineering background to join us. In this role, you will own the investigation of electrical failures, scaling our FA throughput and translating physics-of-failure insights into hardware improvements. This is a high-visibility and high-impact role where your findings will help steer design iterations, prevent escapes, increase test coverage and help ensure the ultimate reliability of the fundamentally new class of power generation.

Responsibilities

• Lead Hands-on Investigations: Perform deep-dive troubleshooting and debugging on a wide variety of electrical enclosures and hardware, ranging from low-voltage logic controllers to high-voltage power switching systems
• Drive Root Cause Analysis: Apply structured engineering and problem-solving methodologies to pinpoint mechanisms of failure, translating your findings into actionable containment, corrective, and preventive actions (CAPA)
• Accelerate FA Throughput: Streamline diagnostic workflows and optimization techniques to increase the pace of our failure analysis loop, ensuring rapid feedback for fast-moving product upgrade programs
• Collaborate Cross-Functionally: Work closely with Design Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Reliability, and field maintenance teams to clearly communicate data-driven FA findings and influence product improvements
• Build the Knowledge Base: Document diagnostic workflows, teardown procedures, and failure-mode data to build a resourceful knowledge base
• Coach and Mentor: Provide technical guidance, mentorship, and coaching to less experienced failure analysis engineers and technicians, raising the collective technical bar and impact of the team

The Ideal Candidate

• You thrive at the intersection of electrical hardware and physics. You love getting your hands on in the lab, tracing signals, and finding the needle in a haystack within complex electrical architectures
• You are fascinated by environmental and system interactions. The challenge of understanding how EMC/EMI issues, thermal cycling, moisture, and harsh operating environments interact with complex power electronics excites you
• You are a master of structured problem-solving. You don't rely on guesswork; you systematically approach failures using data and frameworks to build an ironclad case for root cause analysis
• You thrive in dynamic, cross-disciplinary environments. You enjoy working side-by-side with cross-functional teams, seamlessly closing gaps to solve multi-faceted system issues
• You are an impactful communicator. You can translate complex, highly technical electrical failure mechanisms into clear, concise, and actionable insights for both technical peers and executive stakeholders

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a related technical discipline required
• Minimum 5–8+ years of direct, applicable experience in failure analysis, electrical troubleshooting, or reliability engineering
• Deep expertise in analyzing system-level electrical interactions, including hands-on experience identifying and mitigating EMC/EMI issues and environmental degradation
• Proficiency with common structured problem-solving methodologies (e.g., 8D, Ishikawa diagrams, 5-Why analysis)
• Strong verbal and written communication skills to construct clear FA reports and presenting technical data to cross-functional teams
• Experience with coaching or mentoring junior engineers or laboratory technicians
• Detail-oriented mindset with the ability to manage multiple priorities comfortably in a fast-paced, high-growth environment

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 onsite 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.