Embedded Controls Systems Engineering Manager

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

Key Responsibilities

• Lead top-down requirements engineering: translate product roadmap goals into technical system-level specifications, performance budgets (latency, power, bandwidth), and safety metrics
• Own system-level functional breakdown and allocation across Controls, Embedded Software, and Cloud SW layers
• Author and maintain Interface Control Documents (ICDs), system state machines, and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) test plans
• Drive architectural trade studies balancing multiple solutions against customer and organizational needs
• Build, mentor, and manage a high-performing team of Systems and Controls Engineers
• Drive tight technical alignment with partner engineering teams:
• Embedded SW: Partner on RTOS task allocation, driver APIs, and execution time budgets
• Cloud SW: Partner on telemetry schemas, remote command interfaces, edge-to-cloud security, and Over-the-Air (OTA) update frameworks
• Mechanical & Electrical: Collaborate on sensor/actuator selection, dynamic plant modeling, pinouts, dynamic load limits, and thermal envelopes
• Establish modern Systems Engineering processes (Model-Based Systems Engineering, automated requirement traceability, CI/CD for HIL testing)
• Oversee the design, modeling (C++/Python), and validation of closed-loop control systems, state estimation, and sensor fusion algorithms
• Ensure control models translate cleanly to target hardware execution without violating timing or memory constraints

Qualifications & Key Requirements

• Education: B.S. or M.S. in Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, Mechatronics, Computer Engineering, or a related quantitative field
• Experience: 8+ years total engineering experience in complex connected physical systems (e.g., robotics, autonomous systems, medical devices, IoT hardware, aerospace, or automotive), with 2+ years in technical leadership/people management
• Systems Mastery: Proven track record owning the Systems V-model, writing system specifications, defining ICDs, and conducting system-level trade studies
• Full-Stack Context:
• Deep knowledge of closed-loop control theory (PID, state-space, trajectory planning, system identification).
• Strong working knowledge of embedded real-time systems (C/C++, RTOS, SPI/I2C/CAN buses)
• Practical understanding of cloud architecture patterns (MQTT/gRPC APIs, fleet management, telemetry pipelines, OTA architectures)
• Partner Alignment: Comfort working closely with Mechanical Engineers to incorporate physical dynamics, mass properties, and thermal/kinematic limits into digital system models

Nice-to-Have

• Experience with Model-Based Systems Engineering
• Familiarity with functional safety standards (e.g., ISO 26262, IEC 61508, or IEC 62304)
• Hands-on experience developing HIL automated test benches for system validation

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.