Senior Machinist / R&D Specialist

Number of employees

300

Menlo Park, CA

Posted on: 2026-08-31

Category: energy

Ready to make this your next chapter?

Let Mainspring Energy know you found them on WorkInGreen. It helps more companies post climate jobs here.

Employment type:

Full time

Experience required:

Senior

Salary

Salary not provided

About the company:

Mainspring Energy is a power infrastructure company that designs and manufactures the Linear Generator, a novel primary power solution that delivers firm, flexible, and low-emissions electricity at the point of need. The company serves a wide range of markets including utilities, data centers, enterprise customers, and industrial operations, offering modular units that can be deployed quickly and scaled from hundreds of kilowatts to hundreds of megawatts. The Linear Generator is capable of operating on multiple fuels including natural gas, biogas, and field gas, and is designed to transition seamlessly to zero-carbon fuels over time.

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

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.

Job Overview

Mainspring Energy is searching for a motivated Sr. Machinist capable of supporting the needs of our engineering development lab at our Menlo Park facility. In this position you will work with a small team and manage the daily workload and respond to projects needing precision machining in metals and composite materials. This position produces complex R&D prototype machined parts and components by programming, setting up, and operating computer numerical control, vertical mills, lathes, and traditional machines. Maintains quality and safety standards and maintains supplies and equipment.

Duties and Responsibilities

  • Oversees and coordinates all day-to-day operational and support activities of the shop, ensures that work production meets the objectives, specifications, and standards, and that all applicable operating policies and procedures are adhered to

  • Operate standard equipment, i.e. vertical milling machines, band saw, drill press, and measuring tools to produce prototype parts

  • Consult with engineers regarding design, capacity and purpose, and types of materials to be used for fabrication

  • Analyze written specifications, drawings, rough sketches, and oral instructions to plan layout and determine sequence of operations. Plans machining by studying work orders, engineering plans, materials, specifications, drawings, reference planes, locations of surfaces, and machining parameters; interprets geometric dimensions and tolerances

  • Works with engineers to evaluate processes and recommends changes or modifications for efficiency and adaptability to setup and production

  • May review, evaluate, and make recommendations for purchases such as supplies, materials, and/or equipment

  • May supervise the work of employees engaged in shop production and production support activities, to include recommendations for hiring, termination, performance evaluation, training, work allocation, and problem resolution

  • Maintains current knowledge with respect to relevant state-of-the-art technology, equipment, and/or systems

  • Performs miscellaneous job-related duties as assigned

  • Produces custom tooling and fixture design as needed for complex prototypes

  • Minimum Job Requirements

  • High school diploma or GED; at least 7 years of experience directly related to the duties and responsibilities specified

  • Completed degree(s) from an accredited institution that are above the minimum education requirement may be substituted for experience on a year for year basis

  • Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required

  • Experience with MasterCAM, 5 axis programming

  • Ability to operate standard and specialized equipment to produce prototype parts

  • Ability to perform standard shop computations

  • Skill in production of parts with extremely close tolerances

  • Ability to perform experimental set ups and complex machining procedures

  • Work in a collaborative environment

  • Ability to read, understand, follow, and enforce safety procedures

  • Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to effectively communicate with a wide range of individuals in a diverse community

  • Leadership skills

  • Ability to supervise and train employees on basic machine operations

  • Working knowledge of geometric dimensions and tolerances

  • Working knowledge of AutoCAD, Solid Works and/or related CAD software

  • Knowledge of American National Standards Institute - ANSI

  • Working Conditions and Physical Effort

  • Moderate physical activity. Requires handling of average-weight objects up to 25 pounds or standing and/or walking for more than four (4) hours per day

  • Work environment involves some exposure to hazards or physical risks, which require following basic safety precautions

  • Work may involve moderate exposure to unusual elements, such as extreme temperatures, dirt, dust, fumes, smoke, unpleasant odors, and/or loud noises

  • Get job alerts

    Receive new climate job opportunities matching your preferences. We'll email you once to confirm.

    One email per digest. Unsubscribe in one click, any time.

    Not quite the right fit? Keep looking.

    More climate roles that match your skills and values.

    View all jobs
    Kaluza logo
    France
    Number of employees

    500

    Full time
    Energy
    Proxima Fusion logo
    Germany
    Electric Hydrogen logo
    United States
    Electric Hydrogen logo
    United States

    151 Energy jobs at Mainspring Energy

    Mainspring Energy is hiring Mechanical Upgrades Technician,Corporate Paralegal,Electrical Upgrades Technician, and more.

    Hiring at Mainspring Energy? Feature these jobs →

    View all jobs at Mainspring Energy
    Mainspring Energy logo
    Number of employees

    300

    Dollar sign

    $126,000.00 - $149,000.00

    Full time
    Energy
    Mainspring Energy logo
    Number of employees

    300

    Dollar sign

    $119,000.00 - $140,000.00

    Full time
    Energy