Senior Staff Controls Software Engineer
Mainspring Energy
About the role
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Overview
Mainspring Energy is seeking a highly skilled Sr. Staff Controls Software Engineer to architect, develop, and deploy industrial-grade Human-Machine Interfaces (HMI) and SCADA systems for our Linear Generator sites. As a senior individual contributor and technical lead, you will define the architecture for modernizing our operator interfaces using Ignition, building scalable, site-agnostic UI frameworks, and implementing robust industrial communication pipelines using OPC UA, Modbus, and related protocols. You will bridge hardware controls, site telemetry, and operator visualization to deliver intuitive, reliable, and secure control interfaces across commercial, microgrid, and utility-scale deployments.
Responsibilities
Ignition HMI Development: Lead the design, architecture, and deployment of commercial-grade operator interfaces standardized on the Ignition SCADA platform.
Site-Agnostic UI Architecture: Build dynamic, site-agnostic HMI screens and tag structures that seamlessly scale across diverse power plant configurations, skids, and high generator counts.
Protocol & Telemetry Integration: Implement robust communication interfaces and telemetry pipelines utilizing OPC-UA, Modbus, and SunSpec for real-time SCADA data exposure and third-party integration.
Alarming & Diagnostics: Develop comprehensive alarm management, system of events logging, and diagnostic dashboards for deep visibility into site hardware and network status.
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, Controls and Hardware teams to translate utility requirements and interconnection standards into functional software specifications.
Qualifications
Industry Experience: 12+ years of hands-on experience in commercial power generation, industrial automation, manufacturing or utility-scale energy projects.
HMI & SCADA Expertise: Deep hands-on experience building complex industrial HMI/SCADA systems, with demonstrated mastery of the Ignition platform (Perspective/Vision modules, UDTs, Tag Historian) and industrial communication protocols, specifically OPC-UA, Modbus TCP/RTU, and SunSpec, alongside relational database integration (e.g., PostgreSQL).
Software Architecture & Scalability: Proven experience defining industrial software architecture, leading technical decisions, and delivering reusable, site-agnostic HMI/SCADA platforms from design through deployment.
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 Communication: Ability to create clear technical documentation and system diagrams that bridge the gap between industrial hardware and modern software.
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$189,371 - $222,789 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 base salary, Mainspring offers pre-IPO company equity through Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) + benefits.
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Responsibilities
- Architect and deploy commercial-grade HMI interfaces using the Ignition SCADA platform.
- Build scalable, site-agnostic HMI screens and tag structures.
- Implement telemetry and communication pipelines using OPC UA, Modbus, and SunSpec.
- Develop alarm management, event logging, and diagnostic dashboards.
- Own feature testing, integration testing, and hardware-in-the-loop validation.
- Integrate systems with DERMS and microgrid environments.
- Collaborate with product, controls, and hardware teams to translate utility requirements into software specifications.
Qualifications
- 12+ years of hands-on experience in power generation, industrial automation, manufacturing, or utility-scale energy.
- Deep experience building industrial HMI/SCADA systems with Ignition, including Perspective or Vision, UDTs, and Tag Historian.
- Expertise with OPC UA, Modbus TCP/RTU, SunSpec, and relational databases such as PostgreSQL.
- Experience defining industrial software architecture and delivering reusable SCADA platforms.
- Knowledge of grid interconnection standards such as IEEE 1547 and UL 1741.
- Knowledge of industrial control system cybersecurity frameworks such as NERC CIP.
- Ability to create technical documentation and system diagrams.
Benefits
- Pre-IPO company equity through Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)
- Benefits
Skills mentioned
About Mainspring Energy
Mainspring is a power generator manufacturer redefining how local power is delivered to capacity constrained companies and communities. No other primary power solution can match the flexibility, affordability, and low emissions of a Mainspring Linear Generator. Mainspring customers across key industries — utilities, data centers, enterprise, and industrial — are taking control of their energy futures.
H-1B sponsorship history
Historical employer filing data was found for Mainspring Energy. The employer record includes 114 historical certified applications. This is employer-level history, not a guarantee that this role currently offers sponsorship.