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Mainspring Energy manufactures fuel-flexible, low-emissions local power solutions, with their flagship Mainspring Linear Generator (LGen) representing a breakthrough in onsite power generation. The LGen is a completely new category of energy technology that directly converts straight-line motion into electricity using a low-temperature, non-combustion thermochemical reaction, delivering over 46% net AC electrical efficiency and real-time fuel-switching capability across natural gas, biogas/RNG, propane, hydrogen, and ammonia.
The role of Senior Staff Software Test & Automation Engineer is a company-wide technical leadership position responsible for architecting the core validation and automation frameworks that ensure the LGen 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. Behind the mechanical simplicity of the LGen lies an incredibly complex software abstraction layer that manages thousands of high-frequency variables simultaneously to achieve dynamic load-following, sub-millisecond grid synchronization, and real-time thermochemical adaptive fuel mixing.
Key responsibilities include:
- Architect automation and test infrastructure: design, scale, and maintain custom hardware test beds alongside robust, reusable test automation frameworks, software tools, and CI/CD pipelines
- System validation and 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 and 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
Requirements:
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field with 16+ years of professional experience, OR Master's degree with 15+ years in an SDET, Embedded Test, or Software Engineering role
- Proven track record of leading complex automation projects from design to implementation, combined with foundational ability to perform deep-dive manual exploratory testing and technical test case design
- Strong hands-on software development experience in Python and C++, with flexibility to navigate, debug, and contribute to diverse codebases (including Bash scripting)
- Demonstrated proficiency in leveraging AI coding assistants as a force multiplier for productivity, combined with professional judgment to challenge, validate, and expand upon AI-generated solutions
- 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:
- Experience with containerization and orchestration tools such as Docker, Kubernetes, and configuration management via Ansible
- High proficiency with industry test and development workflows like Jira, Xray, GitLab, or equivalent tools
