Controls and Commissioning Engineer

Company Overview

Mainspring Energy is revolutionizing power generation with the world’s most flexible and adaptable onsite power generator, the Mainspring Linear Generator. Commercial, industrial, and utility leaders are choosing Mainspring over traditional options like engines, turbines, and fuel cells to quickly and reliably deliver local power for EV charging, commercial facilities, data centers, and grid-scale operations. The Mainspring Linear Generator is fuel flexible, ramps up and down to meet demand, and utilizes a flameless technology with near-zero NOx emissions.

Backed by top-tier investors such as Khosla Ventures, Bill Gates, American Electric Power, and Lightrock, Mainspring designs, manufactures and delivers its products to customers across the U.S. today, and we’re quickly scaling for international expansion.

Inspired by our vision of the affordable, reliable, net-zero carbon grid, Mainspring is rapidly expanding within the $816B global electricity equipment market, and we’re hiring the best talent to meet growing customer demand around the globe. We welcome a broad range of backgrounds, experiences, and talents to bring fresh perspectives and ongoing innovation to our customers.

We are looking to build relationships with people who share our values:

Pragmatic Optimism. Building a new category of world-class power generation requires the optimism of ambition and creativity, balanced with practicality to solve problems efficiently. The challenges that arise are opportunities for growth.

Excellence without Ego. We bring expertise and commitment to creating the best customer experience, from sales to deployment and service, just as we apply deep technical rigor to building and delivering world-class products. We strive for excellence and behave as leaders with the humility to acknowledge our challenges, both collectively and as individual contributors.

Proactive Collaboration. The integration and cross-disciplinary nature of Mainspring’s business requires intentionally seeking out others who bring different skills, perspectives, and priorities. Our culture of inclusion and respect extends beyond our team to interactions with our partners and customers.

More information can be found at www.mainspringenergy.com

Job Overview

A key enabler of Mainspring’s mission is the ability of its team to design systems that solve customer problems in the cross section of resiliency and clean power supply. This includes visiting Commercial & Industrial customer sites, engaging with customers to understand their needs, and participating in the configuration & startup of custom clean power solutions based on our linear generators. Mainspring seeks a Controls and Commissioning Engineer with emphasis in power systems controls applications to architect customer solutions that get deployed in practice.

• Develop and Interpret Technical Documentation: scope of works, installation instructions, sequence of operations and engineering drawings, including process and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs), single-line, and three-line diagrams, ensuring compliance with design and project requirements.
• Plan and Execute Site Acceptance Tests (SAT): Lead SAT efforts and on-site commissioning for power generation equipment, fuel systems, and balance-of-plant processes and equipment, ensuring all systems perform as specified, and identifying deficiencies or areas for improvement.
• Program and Troubleshoot PLCs: Write, test, and debug PLC programs, with a focus on integrating and optimizing microgrid and power system controls platforms.
• Familiarity with HMI/SCADA Systems: Experience advanced monitoring and control systems using platforms like Ignition by Inductive Automation, Schneider Automation's Real-Time Automation Controller (RTAC), Siemens’ WinCC, and Wonderware by AVEVA.
• Configure and Troubleshoot Industrial Communication Networks: Work with protocols such as Modbus TCP/IP, Ethernet/IP, Profibus, and OPC-UA, ensuring seamless integration with SCADA, DCS, and HMI systems.
• Design and Configure Instrumentation and Process Controls: Develop, implement, and troubleshoot instrumentation systems for industrial and power generation applications, ensuring performance and accuracy.
• Support Power Generation and Metering/Protection Systems: Integrate and commission power generation equipment, metering and protection schemes, and optimize system reliability.
• Quality Assurance (QA) & Compliance: Uphold high standards of quality control and continuous improvement throughout the commissioning process. Manage documentation related to QA as it relates to system handover to post-commissioning operations.

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related technical discipline.
• At least 5 years of experience with distributed energy systems (e.g., backup generation, combined heat and power (CHP), battery energy storage systems (BESS)).
• Strong understanding of instrumentation and process controls, power generation systems, metering and protection, and industrial communication networks.
• Hands-on experience programming and troubleshooting PLCs, microgrid controllers, and power system controls.
• Experience in the set up and application of HMI/SCADA systems, including Ignition Automation, Schneider Automation's Real-Time Automation Controller (RTAC), Siemens WinCC, or Wonderware.
• Expertise in inverter-based power systems, switchgear, automation, protective relays, and other industrial control equipment.
• Proven ability to execute detailed fault-finding on complex systems, with a focus on accuracy, attention to detail, and problem-solving.
• Demonstrated ability to lead the startup and commissioning of power generation equipment and supporting systems.
• Comprehensive knowledge of resiliency solutions, microgrid controls, energy management systems, and their associated challenges.
• Ability to interpret and apply process and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs), single-line diagrams, and three-line diagrams in a practical environment.
• Strong documentation, organization, and communication skills, with the ability to deliver clear technical instructions.
• Attend the office at Menlo Park, Ca with a willingness to travel nationwide up to 50% of the time to support commissioning activities.

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.