---
title: 'Controls Engineer - Electrical Systems Control at Mainspring Energy'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/controls-engineer-electrical-systems-control-mainspring-energy-menlo-park-w6gheh8n5q7c'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-11-01'
---

# Controls Engineer - Electrical Systems Control at Mainspring Energy

- **Company:** Mainspring Energy
- **Location:** Menlo Park, CA
- **Compensation:** $119k–$140k
- **Work type:** hybrid
- **Posted:** 2026-10-26
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-11-01
- **Apply:** https://jobs.lever.co/mainspringenergy/4cef1d1a-7642-492d-aeea-fee5ee479ec3

## Job description

## 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

Do you enjoy controlling multi-domain physical systems like robots, cars, or generators using embedded systems? Are you passionate about modeling system dynamics (linear or nonlinear), designing control algorithms, implementing them in hardware, and verifying real-world performance?

We have a high-impact opportunity for a Controls Engineer to join a world-class engineering team, designing and implementing new automation and control algorithms for our Linear Generator - a sophisticated, automated system with mechanical, electrical, fluid, thermodynamic, and thermal dynamics. Controls are central to its performance and behavior.

The Electrical Systems Control team specializes in coordinating the control of inverters, batteries, brake resistors, and generators on a common DC bus to provide consistent and reliable power. In this role, you will learn the fundamentals of each of these components to enable smooth and reliable power production. You will be paired closely with senior engineering mentors dedicated to accelerating your technical mastery, systems thinking, and long-term career growth.

We're looking for a driven, self-directed problem solver who thinks in systems, learns fast, takes coaching well, and is a team player. You have a strong interest in software, sensors, real-time control, and automation for dynamic systems, and you're excited about Mainspring's mission to deliver clean, affordable, and resilient power.

## Responsibilities

As an Associate Controls Engineer in the Electrical Systems Controls team, you will:

- Help integrate inverters, batteries, brake resistors, and generators all on a common DC bus.
- Design, implement, and tune control algorithms that coordinate the DC bus, batteries, and grid tie inverters, in simulation and on hardware.
- Implement algorithms and continuous-integration tests (MIL, SIL, PIL) in C++17.
- Develop automation, diagnostics, and fail-safes for a novel integrated platform.
- Analyze system data and refine control strategies.
- Develop and automate test plans, test cases, and traceability matrices to ensure comprehensive coverage.
- Conduct failure analysis, risk mitigation, and validation to maintain robust control performance.
- Debug sensors, actuators, and subsystems, addressing noise, disturbances, and calibration.
- Support fleet generator operation, manufacturing testing, and reliability efforts.
- Collaborate cross-functionally with power electronics, mechanical, thermal, firmware, and test teams to define requirements, integrate multi-physics systems, implement new software features, and drive validation.
- Start by building simulation tests and supporting hardware validation of new grid tie inverter control algorithms, with a structured pathway toward taking full technical ownership of critical control subsystems.

## Qualifications

- BS or MS in electrical, mechanical, or software engineering with a specialization in control systems or power systems
- 2-5 years of relevant work experience
- Experience designing, implementing, and testing controls and automation algorithms in software.
- Strong communication skills and an enthusiasm for active collaboration across diverse hardware and software engineering teams.

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.

## About Mainspring Energy

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Mainspring Energy designs and manufactures fuel-flexible linear generators that provide low-emission, dispatchable onsite power for utilities, data centers, and industrial customers.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Series F)
- **Headquarters**: Menlo Park, California, United States
- **Founded**: 2010
- **Founders**: Shannon Miller

## Core Business
- Primary industry: Electric Power Generation
- Target customers: B2B – utilities, data center developers, enterprise, industrial
- Mission statement: "Redefining how local power is delivered to capacity constrained companies and communities" – enabling clean, reliable, and fuel-flexible power.

## Products & Services
- **[Linear Generator (LGen)]**: A flameless, fuel-flexible generator that converts gaseous fuels (natural gas, biogas, hydrogen, propane) into electricity with near-zero NOx emissions. Modular (0.25 MW per unit), fast-ramping (0-100% dispatchable), 46% electrical efficiency (LHV). Standardized 2.5 MW configuration (10 units). Suitable for grid-parallel or grid-independent operation, microgrids, and balancing renewables.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not disclosed (private company)
- **Key Metrics**: Annual revenue $117M (latest fiscal year); total funding $813M; 407 employees
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: General Catalyst (led Series F, 2025, $258M), Lightrock (led Series E, 2022, $140M), BloombergNEF (grant), and others.
- **Growth Signals**: Powering the largest U.S. EV truck charging depot; >1 GW of capacity trusted by Fortune 500 companies and utilities; headcount growing +3.4% YoY; job postings up +121.4% YoY (62 active openings); recently expanded into data center market.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Fuel Flexibility**: Single generator can seamlessly switch between natural gas, RNG, hydrogen, and propane without hardware retrofits.
- **Near-Zero Emissions**: <1.5 ppm NOx (0.05 lb/MWh) – meets stringent air quality standards.
- **Dispatchability**: 0-100% load following, grid-independent operation, capable of firming renewables.
- **Low Maintenance**: Only two moving parts, no oil changes, modular design reduces downtime.
- **High Efficiency**: 46% electrical efficiency (LHV) across all scales.
- **Fast Deployment**: Factory-built, skid-mounted units enable rapid installation.

## Strategic Focus
- Scaling manufacturing and deployment to meet growing demand from data centers and utilities.
- Advancing hydrogen and biogas compatibility to support long-term decarbonization.
- Expanding standardized 2.5 MW configurations to lower installed cost and accelerate timelines.
- Building a diverse, cross-disciplinary team to drive innovation in power generation.

## Why Work Here
- Culture of inclusion, respect, and collaboration across engineering, operations, and field teams.
- Emphasis on growth: "We invest in your growth because progress requires people who keep getting better."
- Hybrid/Remote options: headquarters in Menlo Park, manufacturing facilities, and remote field service roles.
- Active hiring across engineering (mechanical, electrical, software), operations, supply chain, and field service.
- Competitive salary ranges (e.g., Engineer ~$107k, Controls Engineer ~$109k, Manufacturing Engineer ~$91k) plus benefits.
- Diverse talent origins from Tesla, Stanford, Apple, SunPower, and other top clean energy companies.

## Sources
1. [mainspringenergy.com/company](https://www.mainspringenergy.com/company)
2. [mainspringenergy.com/careers](https://www.mainspringenergy.com/careers)
3. [jobs.lever.co/mainspringenergy](https://jobs.lever.co/mainspringenergy)
4. [linkedin.com/company/mainspringenergy](https://www.linkedin.com/company/mainspringenergy)
5. [mainspringenergy.com/product](https://www.mainspringenergy.com/product)

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