Staff Software Controls Engineer - Site Control Job Menlo Park area,California USA,Engineering

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, Next Era 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

About Mainspring

The core values that ground our work, guide our decisions, and connect us together:

Pragmatic Optimism
Excellence without Ego
Proactive Collaboration

Job Overview

Mainspring Energy is seeking a highly skilled Staff Controls Software Engineer to develop and test the critical software that integrates our Linear Generators into global energy infrastructure. As an individual contributor (IC) within a high-performing Scrum team, you will focus on building commercial-grade site control systems, ensuring seamless integration with Microgrids, Distributed Energy Resources (DERs), and utility-scale power plants. You will be responsible for writing high-quality code, conducting rigorous testing, and collaborating with your team to deliver the communication and control backbone of our technology.

Key Responsibilities

Technical Execution: Design, implement, and test control system features, ensuring they are robust and scalable for a high-volume manufacturing environment
Protocol Implementation: Develop and maintain communication interfaces using OPC-UA
, Modbus, and other industrial protocols to ensure system interoperability
SCADA & HMI Development: Build and refine SCADA systems and HMI designs, focusing on creating intuitive operator interfaces and deep diagnostic visibility for the team
Agile Team Participation: Work closely within a Scrum framework, participating in sprint planning, code reviews, and daily stand-ups to deliver reliable software increments
Testing & Validation: Own the testing lifecycle for new features, including unit testing, integration testing, and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) validation to ensure site safety logic and grid compliance
DER Integration: Implement strategies for integrating Mainspring technology into Distributed Energy Resource Management Systems (DERMS) and complex microgrid environments
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work with Product and Hardware teams to translate utility requirements and interconnection standards into functional software specifications

Qualifications

Industry

Experience:

8+ years of hands-on experience in commercial power generation
, industrial automation, or utility-scale energy projects
Systems Expertise: Expert proficiency with SCADA
, HMI
, and industrial controllers (PLCs/PACs). Deep hands-on experience with IEC 61131-3 for machine control and a strong preference for experience in IEC 61499 for event-driven architectures. Experience with industrial serial protocols ( like UART) is a plus
Deep Protocol Knowledge: Proven track record of developing and testing control logic for complex power sites (e.g., microgrids, large-scale solar + storage). Expert-level proficiency in OPC-UA
, MQTT, Modbus, and DNP3 within secure industrial environments
Grid Interconnection Standards: Experience with grid interconnection standards (e.g., IEEE 1547, UL 1741)
Cybersecurity Frameworks: Knowledge of cybersecurity frameworks for industrial control systems (e.g., NERC CIP)
Technical…