Staff Electrical Engineer
Job description
About the role
Role: Staff Electrical Engineer
Location: USA
Engagement Type: Salary
Compensation Range: One hundred seventy thousand USD to two hundred twenty thousand USD per year
Position Summary
Mainspring Energy designs and builds fuel-flexible, low-emission power systems that add capacity quickly and provide reliable, affordable, and sustainable electricity. The company began commercial shipments of its Linear Generator in two thousand twenty and currently has hundreds of megawatts in advanced development and field operations for major clients in the Fortune 500, data center, and utility sectors. Mainspring collaborates with global energy leaders such as AEP, NextEra Energy Resources, and Schneider Electric.
The core values guiding Mainspring's work are pragmatic optimism, excellence without ego, and proactive collaboration.
The technology behind the Mainspring Linear Generator is distinct from other generator technologies on the market. It depends on advanced electrical power and control hardware systems to reach top-tier efficiency while satisfying the strictest emissions standards. These electrical hardware systems are developed by a team of electrical engineers who oversee hardware design from initial concept through testing and manufacturing.
Mainspring is seeking a highly impactful Staff Electrical Engineer to join the team responsible for the Linear Generator's power delivery and integration into customer power systems. In this role, you will own the selection, integration, configuration, and performance of commercial off-the-shelf inverters used in the Mainspring Linear Generator System.
Key Responsibilities
You will define how power modules behave during early testing, shaping performance for utilities and data centers. The decisions you make determine whether hardware meets strict emissions requirements while remaining affordable and reliable. Your work supports deployments with partners such as AEP and Schneider Electric.
Your key responsibilities will include designing power paths for modules entering early testing. You will analyze control signals to align inverter settings with generator hardware. You will guide validation routines that confirm performance before field installation. You will coordinate with manufacturing teams to ensure units meet specifications during build. You will evaluate vendor offerings and select components suitable for demanding sites. You will verify integration results with partners to ensure smooth operation in varied grids. You will support diagnostic reviews after deployment to sustain efficiency and uptime. You will drive documentation that helps colleagues understand configuration choices clearly.
Requirements
You must have three years of hands-on power hardware development experience. You need experience with forty-eight volt direct current systems and alternating current power conversion. You should understand how to interpret test waveforms for debugging issues. You must demonstrate skill using simulation tools for electrical circuit analysis. You need familiarity with communication protocols used in energy systems. You should know how to read technical data sheets for electronic components. You must manage multiple tasks while maintaining precise attention to detail. You need experience working safely around energized equipment in laboratory settings.
Nice To Have
Experience with energy storage systems is preferred.
Skills And Tools
Skills and tools required for the role include MATLAB, Simulink, PSpice, and Python.
Practical Notes
Please What you'll do
- Follow scope Welcome to the Staff Electrical Engineer opportunity at Mainspring Energy, a specialized role focused on the advancement of fuel-flexible, low-emission power systems. This position is situated in Menlo Park, California, and operates on a salary engagement basis with a compensation range of one hundred seventy thousand USD to two hundred twenty thousand USD per year. The role is integral to the continued development of Mainspring's Linear Generator technology, which is already in commercial shipment and supported by hundreds of megawatts in advanced development and field operations for clients across the Fortune 500, data center, and utility landscapes. Mainspring Energy maintains partnerships with globally recognized energy leaders such as AEP, NextEra Energy Resources, and Schneider Electric, reflecting the scale and impact of its work.
The role centers on the power delivery and integration aspects of the Linear Generator system, placing responsibility for critical hardware decisions in the hands of the selected candidate. As Staff Electrical Engineer, you will define how power modules behave during early testing, directly influencing performance outcomes for demanding environments such as utilities and data centers. The decisions you make will determine whether the hardware not only meets strict emissions requirements but also remains affordable and reliable over its operational life. Your contributions will support real-world deployments with major partners, ensuring that the technology performs as intended in the field. You will be deeply involved in the entire hardware development lifecycle, from initial concept definition through testing and eventual manufacturing support.
In practical terms, you will design power paths for modules entering early testing phases, ensuring that electrical architectures are robust and aligned with system-level goals. A significant portion of your work will involve analyzing control signals to align inverter settings with the specific characteristics of the generator hardware. This requires a disciplined approach to validation, as you will guide routines that confirm performance before any field installation takes place. Coordination with manufacturing teams will be essential to ensure that production units meet precise specifications during the build process. You will also evaluate vendor offerings and select components that are suitable for demanding and variable site conditions. Verification of integration results with partners will be necessary to guarantee smooth operation across different grid environments. Post-deployment, you will support diagnostic reviews aimed at sustaining efficiency and maximizing system uptime. Finally, you will drive the creation of clear documentation that helps colleagues understand the rationale behind key configuration choices.
To be eligible for this role, you must meet several hard requirements that ensure you can perform the responsibilities effectively. You must have three years of hands-on power hardware development experience, providing a foundational understanding of how electrical systems are designed, tested, and deployed. Experience with forty-eight volt direct current systems and alternating current power conversion is essential, as these form the backbone of the systems you will be working on. You should understand how to interpret test waveforms for debugging issues, a skill that will be critical when assessing hardware behavior during testing and validation. Mastery of simulation tools for electrical circuit analysis is required, as these tools are central to evaluating designs before physical implementation. Familiarity with communication protocols used in energy systems will help you integrate hardware and software components seamlessly. You should know how to read technical data sheets for electronic components, enabling you to make informed decisions during the selection and integration process. The role demands the ability to manage multiple tasks while maintaining precise attention to detail, ensuring that designs are both accurate and efficient. You must also have experience working safely around energized equipment in laboratory settings, adhering to strict safety standards at all times.
Preferred qualifications include experience with energy storage systems, which would provide additional context for managing power flows and integration challenges. The role relies heavily on a specific set of technical tools and skills, including MATLAB, Simulink, PSpice, and Python. These tools are used extensively for modeling, simulation, analysis, and automation, making proficiency in them essential for success. The work environment involves close collaboration with cross-functional teams, requiring strong communication skills and the ability to translate technical concepts into actionable insights. You will work on complex systems where theoretical knowledge must be applied to practical, real-world constraints. The ability to understand and influence system-level behavior is a core part of the position.
This role operates out of the Menlo Park location, and candidates should be prepared to engage with a collaborative, high-expectation engineering culture. Mainspring Energy emphasizes pragmatic optimism, excellence without ego, and proactive collaboration as guiding principles for all work. The successful candidate will be comfortable operating in a fast-paced environment where responsibilities evolve with project needs. Clear documentation and knowledge sharing are valued to ensure continuity and team alignment. The position offers the opportunity to work on cutting-edge technology that contributes to more sustainable and reliable power systems. Please note that details regarding remote policy, pay specifics, and start date should be confirmed Prospective applicants are encouraged to review the official posting to confirm duties, pay, and location for before proceeding.