Staff Manufacturing Process Engineer

Mainspring Energy; Menlo Park (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

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Benefits

Job summary

Mainspring Energy, a leader in fuel-flexible, low‑emissions local power, seeks a Senior/Staff Manufacturing Process Engineer to bridge product development and scalable production at its Menlo Park site. You’ll own process development, validation, and lifecycle improvements for high‑volume assembly, partnering with Mechanical, Electrical, Quality and Supply Chain teams.

The role emphasizes data‑driven problem solving, PFMEA, DOE, and Lean manufacturing to reduce risk and deliver repeatable, safe

Qualifications

• 7–10+ years of manufacturing/process engineering for complex electromechanical products.
• Expertise in PFMEA, Control Plans, Process Flow Diagrams, DOE, SPC, 8D, Cpk and GR&R.
• Experience scaling manufacturing processes and supporting NPI from prototype to production.
• Experience in assembly equipment, fixtures, gauges, and automation.
• Strong Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, line balancing, Yamazumi, time studies, and capacity modeling.
• Proven cross-functional leadership and data-driven decision making.
• Experience in fast-paced NPI environments with evolving designs.

Responsibilities

• Develop, validate, and optimize processes from prototype to high-volume production.
• Lead PFMEA workshops, DOE studies, capability analyses, and GR&R.
• Drive risk mitigation with Design Eng., Quality, and Operations.
• Establish manufacturing readiness, validation strategies, and quality gates.
• Collaborate on line balancing, cycle times, and resource utilization.
• Lead root-cause investigations and improve first-pass yield and OEE.
• Support factory layout, capacity planning, and new factory launches.

Skills

PFMEA

DOE

Cpk

GR&R

Lean Manufacturing

Six Sigma

Kaizen

Yamazumi charts

Time studies

Cross-functional leadership

Tools

Assembly equipment design

Fixtures and gauges

Automation systems

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 are seeking a highly capable Senior/Staff Manufacturing Process Engineer with a strong foundation in manufacturing process planning, industrial engineering, and data-driven problem-solving to bridge the gap between product development and scalable manufacturing.

In this role, you will partner closely with Mechanical, Electrical, Manufacturing, Quality, and Supply Chain teams to develop robust, scalable manufacturing processes that enable safe, repeatable, and high-volume production. You will drive end-to-end process planning, PFMEA workshops, risk mitigation strategies, process validation, and quality planning to ensure new products launch successfully and existing products continuously improve.

This is not a downstream execution role. You will proactively influence product and process decisions by leveraging shop floor data, structured experimentation, and lessons learned from production to eliminate manufacturing risks before they impact volume production.

The ideal candidate combines strong process engineering fundamentals, lean manufacturing principles, and hands‑on manufacturing experience, and thrives in a fast‑paced, highly collaborative environment where continuous improvement is part of the daily culture.

What You’ll Do

Manufacturing Process Development

• Develop, validate, and optimize manufacturing processes from early prototype builds through high-volume production
• Lead manufacturing process validation activities using PFMEA, DOE, capability studies (Cpk), and GR&R
• Drive cross‑functional, closed‑loop risk mitigation plans by partnering with Design Engineering, Quality, and Operations
• Establish manufacturing readiness plans, process validation strategies, and quality gates for new product introductions

Manufacturing Optimization & Operational Excellence

• Partner with Industrial Engineering to evaluate cycle times, line balancing, and resource utilization using Yamazumi charts and time studies
• Drive touch‑time reduction initiatives through process optimization, improved assembly sequencing, ergonomic improvements, fastening strategies, automation opportunities and subsystem testing
• Lead structured root cause investigations using 8D, 5 Whys, DOE, and statistical analysis to improve first‑pass yield and process capability
• Identify and eliminate manufacturing bottlenecks to improve throughput, labor productivity, and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE)
• Champion Lean Manufacturing, error‑proofing (Poka‑yoke), standardization, and continuous improvement initiatives across production

Manufacturing Scale‑Up

• Own the transition of assembly processes from prototype builds to scalable production systems
• Partner with Quality, Supply Chain, Operations, and NPI teams to successfully launch new manufacturing processes
• Support factory layout development, production line design, capacity planning, and equipment selection
• Support new factory launches, manufacturing transfers, and production ramp activities across domestic and international sites

What You’ll Bring

• 7–10+ years (Senior) or 10–15+ years (Staff) of manufacturing/process engineering experience supporting complex electromechanical products
• Expertise in PFMEA, Control Plans, Process Flow Diagrams, DOE, SPC, 8D, Cpk, and GR&R
• Experience developing scalable manufacturing processes and supporting New Product Introduction (NPI) from prototype through high-volume production
• Experience developing assembly equipment, fixtures, gauges, and automation systems
• Strong knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Kaizen, line balancing, Yamazumi charts, time studies, and capacity modeling
• Proven ability to lead cross‑functional technical initiatives and influence engineering decisions through data
• Experience working in fast‑paced NPI environments with evolving designs and manufacturing challenges
• Experience in automotive, aerospace, energy, or other high‑volume electromechanical manufacturing environments

What Sets You Apart

• Hands‑on mindset—you enjoy working on the production floor to validate ideas, troubleshoot issues, and implement improvements
• Comfortable making technical decisions in ambiguous situations while balancing quality, cost, schedule, and manufacturability
• Passion for Lean Manufacturing with a bias toward simple, robust, and cost‑effective solutions over unnecessary complexity
• Strong systems thinking with the ability to connect product design, manufacturing processes, quality, and operational performance

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.