Senior Applications Engineer - Control and Automation

Mainspring Energy•Menlo Park, CA

2d•$109,000 - $128,000•Remote

About The Position

A key enabler of Mainspring’s mission is the ability of its team to deliver solutions based on our linear generator technology that solve customer problems in the cross-section of resiliency and clean power generation. Mainspring is looking to hire a Senior Applications Engineer to join our Project Delivery team and focus on Linear Generator automation and controls implementation for our multi-generator deployments.

Requirements

5+ years of experience in industrial automation and controls, preferably within power generation, distributed energy resources, or utility-scale facilities
Demonstrated experience in developing custom industrial automation logic, program deployment, and maintenance
Next-Gen Automation Skills: Strong experience with Software-Defined Automation or "Universal Automation" platforms. Direct experience with the IEC 61499 standard is highly preferred
Expert-level knowledge of logic programming (Structured Text, Function Block, Ladder) on a major platform (Rockwell Studio 5000, Siemens TIA Portal, Beckhoff TwinCAT, Schneider EAE)
Experience designing and troubleshooting industrial control networks (Modbus TCP, DNP3), including basic knowledge of VPNs, remote access, and cybersecurity best practices
Familiarity with electrical power systems, inverters, protection relays, and the physics of grid integration
Strong understanding of wiring diagrams, network diagrams, electrical schematics, one-lines and other standard electrical drawings
Excellent organizational and communication skills, able to coordinate complex workflows, communicate effectively with contractors and team members, and document key project activities in addition to engineering deliverables
Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to think critically to address customer challenges
Ownership Mentality: You don’t just close tickets; you own the outcome. You are proactive in identifying risks and comfortable advocating for the resources needed to solve them
Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, a related field or comparable work experience

Responsibilities

Design, configure, and maintain automation project files for complex energy projects. You will manage control implementation for customer specific applications such as grid-parallel operation, islanding transitions, blackstart coordination, and peak shaving
Create and modify Sequence of Operations (SOO) procedures to meet project specifications and requirements
Author Site Acceptance Testing (SAT) procedures to demonstrate the proper implementation and function of the system after deployment
Partner with the field commissioning team to support startup and testing activities. You will be the escalation point for complex control, networking, and integration issues through Commercial Operation
Serve as a technical advisor for internal teams building out code base improvements and expanded generator controls functionality
Ensure comprehensive documentation of control designs, IP addressing schemes, and logic modifications to facilitate a smooth handover to our Fleet Operations team for long-term maintenance
Anticipate and communicate project risks related to generator control deployment and contributes meaningful mitigation strategies