Staff Electrical Engineer - Inverter & Grid Integration

Mainspring Energy; Menlo Park (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Onsite at Menlo Park HQ

Benefits

Job summary

Mainspring Energy in Menlo Park, CA, is seeking an experienced Electrical Engineer to advance its Linear Generator power delivery and grid integration. You will own the selection, integration, and testing of industrial inverters in the 100 kW to 1 MW+ range, ensuring performance and reliability for commercial deployments.

The role requires a BA/BS or MS in Electrical Engineering, 8+ years of hands-on HV power conversion experience, mastery of power-quality analysis, and leadership in

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering or related field.
• 8+ years of hands-on experience integrating industrial power conversion hardware or energy storage systems.
• Expert-level troubleshooting for complex AC/DC power systems with waveform analysis and fault diagnosis.
• HV lab/field experience (400–800 Vac, up to 1500 Vdc) with NFPA 70E and LOTO practices.

Responsibilities

• Lead selection, sizing, and configuration of industrial grid-interactive inverters (100 kW–1 MW+).
• Drive CAPA investigations and act as technical escalation authority for grid stability issues.
• Architect next-gen power delivery topologies with 1500 Vdc bus integration.
• Lead microgrid integration, black-start sequences, and grid-edge compliance across products.
• Develop qualification testing for new power architectures and lead cross-functional reviews.

Skills

Electrical engineering

High-voltage systems

Power electronics

CAPA leadership

Modbus/CAN/SunSpec

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Electrical Engineering

Tools

Modbus TCP/RTU

CANbus

SunSpec

NFPA 70E & LOTO

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 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

The technology that powers Mainspring’s Linear Generator is unlike any other generator technology on the market. The Linear Generator relies on innovative electrical power and control hardware systems to achieve its best-in-class efficiency while meeting the world’s strictest emissions requirements. These electrical hardware systems are designed by a talented team of electrical engineers that own hardware design from initial concept through test and manufacturing.

We have a highly impactful opportunity for an electrical engineer to be part of the team that is responsible for the Linear Generator’s power delivery and integration into customers’ power systems. You will own the selection, integration, configuration, and performance of commercial off-the-shelf inverters used in Mainspring’s Linear Generator System.

Responsibilities

• Lead the selection, sizing, and configuration of industrial grid-interactive off-the-shelf (OTS) inverters in the 100kW to 1MW+ range
• Manage Corrective and Preventive Action (CAPA) root-cause investigations serve as the principal technical escalation authority for severe grid stability and power quality issues
• Architect next-generation power delivery topologies, focusing on grid-interactive inverter selection and 1500 Vdc bus integration
• Architect and lead the strategy for microgrid integration, black-start operational sequences, and grid-edge compliance (CA Rule 21, IEEE 1547-2018, low-voltage ride-through) across the product line
• Develop qualification testing and integration for next-generation power system architectures
• Lead cross-functional stage-gate design reviews across mechanical, thermal, controls, test, and software engineering teams to drive system-level alignment, performance, safety, and manufacturability

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field.
• 8+ years of hands-on experience integrating industrial power conversion hardware or energy storage systems
• Expert-level troubleshooting authority for complex AC/DC power systems, with demonstrated mastery in waveform analysis, fault diagnosis, power quality, and transient grid-stability resolution.

• Extensive hands-on expertise operating in high-voltage lab and field environments (400–800 Vac, up to 1500 Vdc), with a strong track record of championing NFPA 70E and Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) best practices
• Deep technical proficiency in architecting and debugging industrial communication protocols (Modbus TCP/RTU, CANbus, SunSpec) for power electronics control
• Proven technical leadership in driving multi-disciplinary problem resolution, leading formal Corrective and Preventive Action (CAPA) programs, and mentoring engineers through the full product development lifecycle

Bonus

• Demonstrated experience in the development, deployment, or optimization of grid-scale energy projects
• Expertise in Protection & Control (P&C), including programming SEL or Basler relays and coordinating with utility engineers for grid interconnection

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.