Senior Sustaining Controls Engineer

Mainspring Energy•Menlo Park, CA

9d•$138,872 - $163,379•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Sustaining Controls Engineer helps ensure that the company’s product reliably meets customers’ electricity demand. The role works across the linear generator fleet, laboratory operations, and manufacturing processes, bridging hardware and software to diagnose and resolve complex system issues. Following the transition from research and development to full production, the engineer will methodically address legacy issues and the issue backlog, identify root causes across C++ software, electrical circuits, and mechanical components, and develop sustaining features that improve product stability and fleet performance. The position is onsite at the Menlo Park headquarters. The stated salary range is $138,872–$163,379 per year, adjusted for local market conditions and employee experience. Compensation also includes pre-IPO company equity through Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) and benefits.

Requirements

Experience successfully performing root cause analysis of complex software-mechatronic systems.
A driven, self-directed systems thinker who can create or improve effective sustaining engineering processes.
Excellent communication skills and demonstrated collaboration across multidisciplinary teams.
Degree in mechanical or electrical engineering with a controls focus.
For senior level: a bachelor’s degree and six years of experience, or a master’s degree and five years of experience.

Responsibilities

Manage, document, and resolve fleet issues, including clear communication and follow-up, and improve the resolution process.
Diagnose root causes of system issues and distinguish 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 improve system behavior.
Debug and troubleshoot existing control algorithms to improve system performance and reliability.
Analyze C++ code to interpret system behavior.
Implement C++ fixes for field issues 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 to support continuous improvement.
Support reliability and manufacturing testing and contribute to system life-cycle maintenance.