Staff Software Test and Automation Engineer
Job Overview
Mainspring Energy has fundamentally redefined onsite power generation. Our breakthrough product-the Mainspring Linear Generator (LGen)-is a completely new category of energy technology. Distinct from an engine, turbine, or fuel cell, the LGen directly converts straight-line motion into electricity using a low-temperature, non-combustion thermochemical reaction.
With only two moving parts per core, a frictionless air-bearing system, and zero-flame chemical conversions, we deliver over 46% net AC electrical efficiency. More importantly, it is the world’s only commercially available technology capable of real-time fuel-switching under load, seamlessly transitioning between natural gas, biogas/RNG, propane, hydrogen, and ammonia.
Behind this mechanical simplicity lies an incredibly complex software abstraction layer. To achieve dynamic load-following, sub-millisecond grid synchronization, and real-time thermochemical adaptive fuel mixing, our proprietary controls manage thousands of high-frequency variables simultaneously.
As a Senior Staff Software Test & Automation Engineer, you will architect the core validation and automation frameworks that ensure this distributed energy asset operates with 100% safety and utility-scale reliability. You will own the strategy for testing the intersection of real-time embedded software, predictive control loops, and multi-fuel dynamics.
Responsibilities
Architect Automation & Test Infrastructure: Design, scale, and maintain custom hardware test beds alongside robust, reusable test automation frameworks, software tools, and continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines
System Validation & Integration: Develop comprehensive test plans, test cases, technical test approaches, and traceability matrices to validate complex hardware/software integrations and resolve system-level bottlenecks
Root Cause & Failure Analysis: Lead deep-dive failure analysis, debug and diagnose issues found during testing, and champion risk mitigation strategies to ensure test stability and environmental reliability
Strategic Coverage: Drive risk-based testing strategies, performing risk analysis to ensure 100% comprehensive test coverage of all critical-path functionalities
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with development teams and support cross-functional engineering initiatives to diagnose system anomalies and vet new technologies
As a principal driver of our Software Test team, you will:
Qualifications (Must Haves)
Experience & Education: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or a related field with 10+ years of professional experience, or a Master’s degree with 9+ years in an SDET, Embedded Test, or Software Engineering role
Strategic Automation Leadership: A proven track record of leading complex automation projects from design to implementation, combined with the foundational ability to perform deep-dive manual exploratory testing and technical test case design
Technical Versatility: Strong hands-on software development experience in Python and C++, with the flexibility to navigate, debug, and contribute to diverse codebases (including Bash scripting) as the project requires
AI Workflow Ownership: Demonstrated proficiency in leveraging AI coding assistants as a force multiplier for productivity, combined with the professional judgment to challenge, validate, and expand upon AI-generated solutions to ensure system integrity and long-term maintainability
Domain Expertise: Professional experience testing and validating systems in at least three of the following areas: Cloud computing, embedded systems, networking, IoT with RTOS, controls, simulations (MIL/SIL/PIL), emulators, or complex algorithms
Desirable Qualifications
DevOps & Infrastructure: Experience working with containerization and orchestration tools such as Docker, Kubernetes, and configuration management via Ansible
Industry Tooling: High proficiency with common industry test and development workflows like Jira, Xray, GitLab, or equivalent tools