Electrical Engineer - Inverter & Grid Integration

Job Description

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

Job Overview

The technology that powers Mainspring’s Linear Generator is unlike any other generator technology on the market. The Linear Generator relies on innovative electrical power and control hardware systems to achieve its best-in-class efficiency while meeting the world’s strictest emissions requirements. You will join a talented team responsible for our electrical system architecture. Your primary focus will be the integration and performance of high-power conversion hardware as it interfaces with both the Linear Generator and the customer’s grid. 

We have a highly impactful opportunity for an electrical engineer to be part of the team that is responsible for the Linear Generator’s power delivery and integration into customers’ power systems. This role focuses on system-level architecture and validation rather than ground-up power converter or PCB design. This is a deeply hands-on position; you will be the technical authority in the lab, personally putting grid-interactive inverters through rigorous characterization and stability testing to ensure they meet our high standards before they ever reach a customer site. Your ownership extends through the entire product lifecycle from fine-tuning firmware parameters in a controlled environment to monitoring fleet performance and leading root-cause analysis for complex system-integration challenges in the field.

Responsibilities

• Lead the selection, sizing, and configuration of industrial grid-interactive off-the-shelf (OTS) inverters
• Lead the troubleshooting and root cause analysis of complex hardware issues arising in the field, lab, or during testing of grid forming and grid following inverters and AC power systems
• Configure and tune inverter parameters for stable operation across grid-forming and grid-following modes
• Design system-level tests to validate grid-edge behaviors, including low-voltage ride-through (LVRT) and frequency response
• Analyze AC power waveforms, power quality, and fault behavior to diagnose system issues
• Ensure system compliance with grid interconnection standards such as IEEE 1547, UL 1741, and local utility requirements
• Perform critical design reviews and collaborate cross-functionally with mechanical, thermal, controls, test engineering and software engineers to ensure holistic system performance and manufacturability

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field
• 3+ years of hands-on experience working with power inverters or power conversion systems 
• Strong troubleshooting skills with AC power systems, including waveform analysis, fault behavior, and system stability 

• Comfort working on high voltage systems (400-800 Vac, up to 1500Vdc) in both a laboratory and industrial field environment
• Experience with industrial communication protocols (Modbus TCP/RTU, CANbus, SunSpec) for power electronics control
• Working knowledge of NEC (NFPA 70), specifically regarding grounding, conductor sizing, and overcurrent protection for power generation systems.
• The ability to work independently and own complex technical problems from initial identification through final resolution

Bonus

• Demonstrated experience in the development, deployment, or optimization of grid-scale energy projects
• Expertise in Protection & Control (P&C), including programming SEL or Basler relays and coordinating with utility engineers for grid interconnection

This position is  onsite at our Menlo Park HQ . The salary will be adjusted to reflect local market conditions based on employee location as well as the experience of the employee. Along with base salary, Mainspring offers pre-IPO company equity through Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) + benefits.

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.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.