Sustaining Controls Engineer

Mainspring Energy, Inc.; Menlo Park (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Benefits

Job summary

Mainspring Energy, Inc. seeks a Sustaining Controls Engineer to diagnose and resolve fleet issues, distinguishing mechanical, electrical, and software problems.

You will work with cross-functional teams to improve system reliability and performance, and you will modify C++ code and test changes in simulation and lab environments. The role requires a degree in mechanical or electrical engineering with controls focus and 2–5 years of experience, onsite at our Menlo Park headquarters, with stock

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or master's in mechanical or electrical engineering with controls
• 2–5 years of experience in the field
• Experience with software-mechatronic systems and sustaining engineering

Responsibilities

• Manage and resolve fleet issues with clear communication and follow-up.
• Diagnose root causes across mechanical, electrical, and software domains.
• Categorize, systematize, and address gaps in automated system behavior.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to provide technical support and improvements.
• Debug and troubleshoot control algorithms to improve performance.
• Analyze and understand C++ code to interpret behavior.
• Implement fixes to field issues in C++ and test in simulation/lab environments.
• Adjust feature designs to address field issues.
• Use Python for data analysis, scripting, and diagnostics.
• Tune control gains and document calibration steps.
• Identify and address gaps in system performance for continuous improvement.
• Support reliability and manufacturing testing.

Skills

Root cause analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Systems thinking

Effective communication

Education

Mechanical/Electrical with controls

Tools

C++

Python

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

Overview

The Sustaining Controls Engineer will play a crucial role in the success of our product automatically and reliably fulfilling customers’ electricity demand. You will work closely with cross-functional teams to diagnose and resolve issues, differentiate between mechanical, electrical, and software-related problems, and document solutions to increase product reliability and reduce maintenance needs. This position is ideal for a multidisciplinary engineer who enjoys working on complex systems and has a keen eye for detail.

Responsibilities

• Manage, document, and resolve fleet issues ensuring clear communication and follow-up on resolutions and improving the process

• Diagnose root causes of system issues, distinguishing between mechanical, electrical, and software-related problems

• Categorize, systematize, and address gaps in automated system behavior

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to provide technical support and enhance system behavior

• Debug and troubleshoot existing control algorithms to improve system performance and reliability

• Analyze and understand C++ code to interpret behavior

• Implement fixes to field issues in C++ code, and test them in simulation and laboratory environments

• Adjust feature designs to address field issues

• Use Python for data analysis, scripting, and system diagnostics

• Tune control gains and calibrate systems, documenting the process for future reference

• Identify and address gaps in system performance, ensuring continuous improvement

• Support reliability and manufacturing testing, contributing to the system's life cycle maintenance

Qualifications

• Experience in successful root cause analysis of complex software-mechatronic systems

• Driven and self-directed systems-thinker responsible for creating or improving effective sustaining engineering processes

• Excellent communicator with demonstrated collaboration across multidisciplinary teams

• Degree in mechanical or electrical engineering with controls focus

  • 2-5 years of experience

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