Embedded System Lab Manager

About the company

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 partners with global energy leaders including AEP, NextEra Energy Resources, and Schneider Electric.

The core values that ground our work, guide our decisions, and connect us together: Pragmatic Optimism, Excellence without Ego, and Proactive Collaboration.

About the role

Are you passionate about maintaining and expanding state-of-the-art labs that enable development and testing of complex embedded control systems? Do you enjoy working hands-on with hardware and software, ensuring smooth operation of critical lab environments? In this role, you will maintain existing embedded system labs and create new ones. The labs include hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) test fixtures with Linux computers, microcontrollers, and some motors, valves, relays, and sensors from the complete generator product. This is an opportunity to join a quickly growing team working to build a new category of power for an affordable, reliable, and net-zero carbon grid.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with software and embedded engineers to create HIL test fixtures involving relays, sensors, Ethernet switches, and RS-232/RS-485 serial interfaces
• Remotely administer Linux systems
• Triage hardware, networking, and configuration issues
• Implement procedures around organization, asset tracking, and equipment maintenance
• Build scalable physical infrastructure for device reliability, applying IT best practices around power continuity and rack & stack standardization
• Act as an onsite point of contact for lab operations

Requirements

• Hands-on experience configuring, troubleshooting, and debugging Linux-based networked devices and communication protocols, including TCP/IP, UDP, and serial interfaces
• Excellent communication skills, capable of collaborating with cross-functional teams and supporting remote workers with lab-related tasks
• Detail-oriented and proactive, with a passion for maintaining high standards in lab organization and system upkeep
• Working knowledge of low-voltage power distribution and circuit fundamentals
• Bachelor's degree in engineering or information technology and two years of work experience

Desirable Qualifications

• A keen eye for process and efficiency improvements
• Sysadmin experience or help desk experience at scale
• Hands-on shop or lab experience
• Skills: 5S, cable management, general handiness
• Experience with automation using Python, Bash, and C++
• Experience with asset management at scale
• Familiarity with high voltage and power electronics
• Experience using common test tools like Jira, Xray, Git, or similar
• Experience building hardware-in-the-loop embedded systems
• Experience building out CI/CD pipelines

If your experience does not meet all posted requirements but you are passionate about transitioning the world to clean and affordable electricity, we encourage you to apply. Mainspring is committed to building a diverse, inclusive, and flexible environment and may adjust responsibilities for the right candidate.

Pay

The salary will be adjusted to reflect local market conditions based on employee location as well as the experience of the employee. Along with the base salary, Mainspring offers pre-IPO stock options and benefits.

Schedule

This position is onsite at our Menlo Park HQ.