Senior Sustaining Controls Engineer

Mainspring Energy•Menlo Park, CA

10d•$138,872 - $163,379•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Sustaining Controls Engineer supports the reliable delivery of customers’ electricity demand by diagnosing and resolving issues across Mainspring’s linear generator fleet, lab operations, and manufacturing processes. The role bridges hardware and software, applying a structured, methodical approach to legacy issues and the sustaining-engineering backlog. The engineer traces root causes across C++ software, electrical circuits, and mechanical components, then develops targeted fixes and features to improve product stability, reliability, and fleet performance. This position works with cross-functional teams to investigate system behavior, test software fixes in simulation and laboratory environments, tune and calibrate systems, and document solutions and processes. The position is onsite at the company’s Menlo Park headquarters. The stated base salary range is $138,872–$163,379 per year, adjusted for local market conditions and employee experience. Mainspring also offers pre-IPO company equity through Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) and benefits.

Requirements

Experience in successful 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 ability to collaborate across multidisciplinary teams.
Degree in mechanical or electrical engineering with a controls focus.
Senior-level qualification: bachelor’s degree and six years of experience, or master’s degree and five years of experience.

Responsibilities

Manage, document, and resolve fleet issues; communicate and follow up on resolutions and improve the issue-resolution process.
Diagnose system root causes and distinguish 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 C++ code to interpret system behavior.
Implement fixes for field issues in C++ 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.