{"id":1014632,"url":"https://alion.io/job/mainspring-energy-senior-reaction-controls-engineer","title":"Senior Reaction Controls Engineer","company":{"id":5556,"name":"Mainspring Energy","domain":"mainspringenergy.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/mainspring-energy","size_band":"1001-5000","is_staffing_agency":false,"is_intermediary":false,"ats_vendor":"Lever","truth_index":{"grade":"A","score":89,"open_postings":27,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":0.222,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":84,"computed_at":"2026-09-23T05:45:00Z"}},"role":"Industrial Engineering","role_family":"Industrial Engineering","seniority":"senior","employment_type":null,"work_mode":"hybrid","remote_scope":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Menlo Park, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":134000,"max":159000,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":159000},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":5,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"C++","optional":false},{"name":"CI/CD","optional":false},{"name":"Python","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-09-17T19:12:37Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-09-17","last_verified_at":"2026-09-23T17:49:54Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":5,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":5},"description":"Job Overview\nDo you love thermodynamics and dynamic system control? Have you thought about thermodynamic cycles as both continuous and discrete dynamic systems? As other industries convert their thermodynamic machines to electromagnetic machines and electrify their platforms, would you like to help generate that clean electricity?\nLinear generators are a new platform that take advantage of mechanically unconstrained piston motion to cleanly and efficiently oxidize a variety of environmentally friendly fuels with disparate properties (like biogas, hydrogen, and ammonia). The linear generator reaction is close to an ideal Otto cycle, so knowledge and intuition of engine control, thermodynamics, and reaction kinetics are applicable here.\nMainspring has a high-impact opportunity for a Senior Controls Engineer on our reaction control team to help optimize the system performance by incorporating physics-based models with modern control algorithms to improve reliability, prolong service intervals, and increase power and efficiency.\nResponsibilities\nImplement models, algorithms, and continuous-integration (MIL, SIL, PIL) tests in C++\n\nDevelop novel fuel, air, compression ratio, and cooling automation and control strategies to improve performance, reliability, and expand the capabilities of the generator to address customer needs\n\nDesign, execute, and analyze experiments using Python on virtual or real generators to realize the impact of your work on real generators\n\nCollaborate with other controls engineers on designs and architectures\n\nDebug sensors, actuators, and subsystems for noise and disturbances and assist in calibration, verification, and validation. Communicate algorithms with block-diagrams, pseudo-code, code, etc.\n\nAnalyze complex thermodynamic-mechatronic systems with experimental data and create representative plant models\n\nSupport reliability and manufacturing testing of systems under control\n\nAnalyze data to assess performance capabilities and inform requirements and design decisions\n\nSupport fleet generator operation to enhance reliability and performance\n\nQualifications\nDriven and self-directed enthusiastic contributor\n\nExcellent communicator with demonstrated collaboration across multidisciplinary teams\n\nMultiple years of experience designing, implementing, and testing algorithms in thermodynamic machines - experience with engines is a plus\n\nBS + 5 years relevant experience, MS + 3 years, or Ph.D. in mechanical engineering or related degree","description_format":"text","description_chars":2495,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":5,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"master","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":[],"hiring_locations":[{"name":"United States","iso":"US","kind":"country"},{"name":"Canada","iso":"CA","kind":"country"}],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Data Centers"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-09-17T22:01:40Z"}],"liveness":{"score":90,"band":"hot","label":"Hiring now","p_open":1,"p_active":0.903,"p_room":1,"age_days":5,"expected_fill_days":84,"reasons":["conf:0","velocity","win:early"],"computed_at":"2026-09-23T05:45:00Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":159000,"is_top_pay":true},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/mainspring-energy-senior-reaction-controls-engineer","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/mainspring-energy-senior-reaction-controls-engineer.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-09-23T18:57:30Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers"}}