Senior Staff Controls Software Engineer

Mainspring Energy; Menlo Park (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

RSUs equity

Onsite at Menlo Park HQ

Job summary

Mainspring Energy, Inc. is seeking a Sr. Staff Controls Software Engineer to architect, develop, and deploy industrial-grade HMI and SCADA systems for its Linear Generator sites.

You will lead design decisions and build scalable, site-agnostic operator interfaces using Ignition, with robust industrial communication pipelines. As a senior individual contributor and technical lead, you will drive testing, HIL validation, DER integration, and cross-functional collaboration with Product, Controls,

Qualifications

• 12+ years in commercial power generation, industrial automation, or utility-scale energy projects.
• Deep HMI/SCADA experience with Ignition (Perspective/Vision, UDTs, Tag Historian) and industrial communication protocols (OPC-UA, Modbus, SunSpec) with database integration (PostgreSQL).
• Experience defining industrial software architecture and delivering reusable, site-agnostic HMI/SCADA platforms.
• Familiarity with grid interconnection standards (IEEE 1547, UL 1741).
• Knowledge of cybersecurity frameworks for ICS (e.g., NERC CIP).
• Strong technical communication and ability to produce clear diagrams and docs.

Responsibilities

• Ignition HMI Development: Lead design, architecture, and deployment of operator interfaces on Ignition.
• Site-agnostic UI architecture: Build dynamic, scalable HMI screens and tag structures across configurations.
• Protocol & telemetry integration: Implement interfaces and telemetry pipelines using OPC-UA, Modbus, and SunSpec.
• Alarming & diagnostics: Develop alarm management, event logging, and diagnostic dashboards.
• Testing & validation: Own unit/integration testing and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) validation.
• DER integration: Integrate Mainspring tech into DERMS and microgrid deployments.
• Cross-functional collaboration: Translate utility requirements into software specifications with Product, Controls, and Hardware teams.

Skills

HMI/SCADA development

Industrial automation

Technical leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Cybersecurity concepts

Tools

Ignition Platform (Perspective/Vision)

OPC-UA

Modbus TCP/RTU

SunSpec

PostgreSQL

Job description

Overview

Mainspring Energy is seeking a highly skilled Sr. Staff Controls Software Engineer to architect, develop, and deploy industrial-grade Human-Machine Interfaces (HMI) and SCADA systems for our Linear Generator sites. As a senior individual contributor and technical lead, you will define the architecture for modernizing our operator interfaces using Ignition, building scalable, site-agnostic UI frameworks, and implementing robust industrial communication pipelines using OPC UA, Modbus, and related protocols. You will bridge hardware controls, site telemetry, and operator visualization to deliver intuitive, reliable, and secure control interfaces across commercial, microgrid, and utility-scale deployments.

Responsibilities

• Ignition HMI Development: Lead the design, architecture, and deployment of commercial-grade operator interfaces standardized on the Ignition SCADA platform.


• Site-Agnostic UI Architecture: Build dynamic, site-agnostic HMI screens and tag structures that seamlessly scale across diverse power plant configurations, skids, and high generator counts.


• Protocol & Telemetry Integration: Implement robust communication interfaces and telemetry pipelines utilizing OPC-UA, Modbus, and SunSpec for real-time SCADA data exposure and third-party integration.


• Alarming & Diagnostics: Develop comprehensive alarm management, system of events logging, and diagnostic dashboards for deep visibility into site hardware and network status.


• Testing & Validation: Own the testing lifecycle for new features, including unit testing, integration testing, and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) validation to ensure site safety logic and grid compliance.


• DER Integration: Implement strategies for integrating Mainspring technology into Distributed Energy Resource Management Systems (DERMS) and complex microgrid environments.


• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work with Product, Controls and Hardware teams to translate utility requirements and interconnection standards into functional software specifications.

Qualifications

• Industry Experience: 12+ years of hands-on experience in commercial power generation, industrial automation, manufacturing or utility-scale energy projects.


• HMI & SCADA Expertise: Deep hands-on experience building complex industrial HMI/SCADA systems, with demonstrated mastery of the Ignition platform (Perspective/Vision modules, UDTs, Tag Historian) and industrial communication protocols, specifically OPC-UA, Modbus TCP/RTU, and SunSpec, alongside relational database integration (e.g., PostgreSQL).


• Software Architecture & Scalability: Proven experience defining industrial software architecture, leading technical decisions, and delivering reusable, site-agnostic HMI/SCADA platforms from design through deployment.


• Grid Interconnection Standards: Experience with grid interconnection standards (e.g., IEEE 1547, UL 1741).


• Cybersecurity Frameworks: Knowledge of cybersecurity frameworks for industrial control systems (e.g., NERC CIP).


• Technical Communication: Ability to create clear technical documentation and system diagrams that bridge the gap between industrial hardware and modern software.

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 does 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 base salary, Mainspring offers pre-IPO company equity through Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) + benefits.