---
title: 'Senior Failure Analysis Engineer at Mainspring Energy'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-failure-analysis-engineer-mainspring-energy-menlo-park-q2rr6jb5c29s'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-07'
---

# Senior Failure Analysis Engineer at Mainspring Energy

- **Company:** Mainspring Energy
- **Location:** Menlo Park, CA
- **Compensation:** $117k–$138k
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-07-29
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-07
- **Apply:** https://jobs.lever.co/mainspringenergy/e8c15da2-3909-483b-b491-1573c4ddf237

## Job description

Job Overview

Our Linear Generator is a sophisticated system integrating a wide range of engineering disciplines, including thermodynamics, mechanical, electrical, software, and controls. To support our rapid transition into volume manufacturing we are actively expanding the scope and size of our Failure Analysis team.

We are looking for a highly motivated Senior Failure Analysis Engineer with a strong electrical engineering background to join us. In this role, you will own the investigation of electrical failures, scaling our FA throughput and translating physics-of-failure insights into hardware improvements. This is a high-visibility and high-impact role where your findings will help steer design iterations, prevent escapes, increase test coverage and help ensure the ultimate reliability of the fundamentally new class of  power generation.

## Responsibilities

- Lead Hands-on Investigations: Perform deep-dive troubleshooting and debugging on a wide variety of electrical enclosures and hardware, ranging from low-voltage logic controllers to high-voltage power switching systems

- Drive Root Cause Analysis: Apply structured engineering and problem-solving methodologies to pinpoint mechanisms of failure, translating your findings into actionable containment, corrective, and preventive actions (CAPA)

- Accelerate FA Throughput: Streamline diagnostic workflows and optimization techniques to increase the pace of our failure analysis loop, ensuring rapid feedback for fast-moving product upgrade programs

- Collaborate Cross-Functionally: Work closely with Design Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Reliability, and field maintenance teams to clearly communicate data-driven FA findings and influence product improvements

- Build the Knowledge Base: Document diagnostic workflows, teardown procedures, and failure-mode data to build a resourceful knowledge base

- Coach and Mentor: Provide technical guidance, mentorship, and coaching to less experienced failure analysis engineers and technicians, raising the collective technical bar and impact of the team

The Ideal Candidate

- You thrive at the intersection of electrical hardware and physics. You love getting your hands on in the lab, tracing signals, and finding the needle in a haystack within complex electrical architectures

- You are fascinated by environmental and system interactions. The challenge of understanding how EMC/EMI issues, thermal cycling, moisture, and harsh operating environments interact with complex power electronics excites you

- You are a master of structured problem-solving. You don't rely on guesswork; you systematically approach failures using data and frameworks to build an ironclad case for root cause analysis

- You thrive in dynamic, cross-disciplinary environments. You enjoy working side-by-side with cross-functional teams, seamlessly closing gaps to solve multi-faceted system issues

- You are an impactful communicator. You can translate complex, highly technical electrical failure mechanisms into clear, concise, and actionable insights for both technical peers and executive stakeholders

## Qualifications

- Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a related technical discipline required

- Minimum 5–8+ years of direct, applicable experience in failure analysis, electrical troubleshooting, or reliability engineering

- Deep expertise in analyzing system-level electrical interactions, including hands-on experience identifying and mitigating EMC/EMI issues and environmental degradation

- Proficiency with common structured problem-solving methodologies (e.g., 8D, Ishikawa diagrams, 5-Why analysis)

- Strong verbal and written communication skills to construct clear FA reports and presenting technical data to cross-functional teams

- Experience with coaching or mentoring junior engineers or laboratory technicians

- Detail-oriented mindset with the ability to manage multiple priorities comfortably in a fast-paced, high-growth environment

## 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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