Senior Materials and Process Engineer

Mainspring Energy; Menlo Park (CA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 190,000; Full time

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Benefits

Job summary

Mainspring Energy is seeking a Senior Materials and Process Engineer to help scale production of the Linear Generator. You will lead material validation, develop graphite and tribological systems, and work across cross-functional teams to ensure reliability and cost-effective solutions.

You will collaborate with supply chain, quality, reliability, design, and production to qualify processes and implement robust controls at manufacturing locations onsite at the Menlo Park HQ.

Qualifications

• MS in Materials Science/Engineering or Mechanical Engineering.
• MS + 5 years or PhD + 3 years of industry experience.
• Deep understanding of isostatic graphite structure, properties and performance, including graphite manufacturing processes.
• Fundamental understanding of properties and performance of engineering materials, and basic knowledge of structure-property relationships.
• Experience with volume production of graphite components is highly preferred.
• Knowledge of dry (solid lubrication) tribology relative to ceramic or graphite materials is highly preferred.
• Working knowledge and experience with FMEA (Failure Mode and Effects Analysis).
• Demonstrated experience with statistical data analysis and reporting (Matlab/Python, Google Sheets/Excel, Weibull++, etc.).
• Excellent communication skills, adaptable self-starter, enjoys collaboration in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead independent process development and material validation of graphite components and tribological systems in the Linear Generator.
• Collaborate with other members of the Materials and Engineering teams to characterize graphite properties, identify failure modes, and execute validation tests to meet reliability requirements.
• Create, develop, and optimize material and process specifications related to graphite and other mechanical components.
• Write specifications, process control, and quality control plans for graphite and other mechanical components.
• Collaborate with other teams such as mechanical design, supply chain and quality to qualify processes and establish key process controls at manufacturing locations.
• Participate in FMEA for design, process, and maintenance.
• Support the Materials and Process team with failure analysis and process development projects in other areas.

Skills

Graphite knowledge

Tribology

FMEA

Data analysis

Education

MS in Materials Science/Engineering or Mechanical Engineering

Tools

Matlab

Python

Weibull++

Job description

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

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

We have a high-impact opportunity for a Senior Materials and Process Engineer who wants to join a world-class engineering team and help scale production of the Linear Generator. The materials and process team at Mainspring Energy works on complex development projects which are at the intersection of properties, performance and processing of a wide range of materials – non ferrous, ferrous, coatings, graphite, polymers etc.

In this role, you will develop reliable cost effective materials solutions and manage existing solutions through validation testing, process development and deployment on an actual part/subassembly. This is a great opportunity to be part of cross functional projects and collaborate with multiple teams such as Supply chain, Quality, Reliability, Design and Production.

Responsibilities

• Lead independent process development and material validation of graphite components and tribological systems in the Linear Generator
• Collaborate with other members of the Materials and Engineering teams to characterize graphite properties, identify failure modes, and execute validation tests to meet reliability requirements
• Create, develop, and optimize material and process specifications related to graphite and other mechanical components
• Write specifications, process control, and quality control plans for graphite and other mechanical components
• Collaborate with other teams such as mechanical design, supply chain and quality to qualify processes and establish key process controls at manufacturing locations
• Participate in FMEA for design, process, and maintenance
• Support the Materials and Process team with failure analysis and process development projects in other areas

Qualifications

• MS in Materials Science/Engineering or Mechanical Engineering
• MS + 5 years or PhD + 3 years of industry experience
• Deep understanding of isostatic graphite structure, properties and performance, including graphite manufacturing processes.
• Fundamental understanding of properties and performance of engineering materials, and basic knowledge of structure-property relationships
• Experience with volume production of graphite components is highly preferred
• Knowledge of dry (solid lubrication) tribology relative to ceramic or graphite materials is highly preferred
• Working knowledge and experience with FMEA (Failure Mode and Effects Analysis)
• Demonstrated experience with statistical data analysis and reporting (Matlab/Python, Google Sheets/Excel, Weibull++, etc.)
• Excellent communication skills, adaptable self-starter, enjoys collaboration in a fast-paced environment

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 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.