Senior Mechanical Engineer - Linear Electromagnetic Machine

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

Mainspring Energy is seeking a talented Senior Mechanical Engineer to join the team responsible for the design and development of the Linear Electromagnetic Machine (LEM). In this role you will design and advance new components and subsystems with challenging technical requirements from initial concept through successful manufacturing launch. You will manage existing concepts through development, deployment, and manufacturing. This is a challenging, hands-on role where your creativity, strong engineering fundamentals, and practical skills will directly contribute to making a significant impact on our clean energy solution.

Core Responsibilities

• Lead and participate in brainstorming activities to develop novel ways to improve all aspects of the LEM and the Linear Generator broadly.
• Develop and optimize key mechanical and electromechanical subsystems within the LEM to drive down cost, improve performance, and deliver high reliability. These systems may include: magnetic encoders and other position sensors; high-voltage wiring and coil design; precision-machined steel and cast-iron components; magnet array assembly methods; composite material manufacturing and analysis; air bearing design, development, and testing.
• Lead failure analysis on assembly, parts and process utilizing engineering fundamentals to drive containment and corrective action
• Engage with data collection, analysis and review to aid in team, project and company level decision making.
• Work with reliability and test teams to validate systems and components with fast cycles of learning for deployment into the next generation of Linear Generators.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with manufacturing engineering, NPI, and external suppliers to rapidly deploy new designs into production.
• Stay current on mechanical engineering advancements relevant to power generation, identifying opportunities to reduce costs, improve performance, and enhance reliability as Mainspring scales its technology
• Uphold and further Mainspring's mission to create clean, affordable, and reliable power generators that accelerate the world's transition to a sustainable energy future

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering or similar field.
• 6+ years as a professional mechanical design engineer.
• Deep understanding of metal castings, machining, welding/fabrication, bolted connections, datum selection, large tolerance stackup analysis, and finishing processes with the ability to identify and resolve design for manufacturability issues.
• Proficiency in 3D CAD modeling (SolidWorks preferred), engineering drawing creation (GD&T), and tolerance stack analysis.
• Hands-on experience with mechanical prototyping, assembly, and testing. Familiarity with FEA, CFD, and thermal analysis tools.
• Excellent problem-solving, creative thinking, communication, and collaboration skills for effective cross-functional teamwork
• Self-starter with a proven ability to deliver functional designs in a rapid development environment and a track record of innovation and continuous improvement. Ability to work independently, manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience with volume manufacturing of electric motors or generators is a plus, including: Design for Quality, inspection and testing methods, insulation system design and certification, formed and wound coil design, magnetic material specification and handling, lamination design and manufacturing
• Passion for clean energy and commitment to creating a more sustainable world

$140,250 - $165,000 a year

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 the base salary, Mainspring offers pre-IPO stock options + 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.