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
Job Overview
As R&D/NPI Buyer, Electrical, you are the primary supply chain point of contact for the Engineering team — the person engineers come to for parts on the bench, prototype builds, and new suppliers stand up fast. You’ll own tactical purchasing for R&D and prototype builds and carry those parts through the transition into production as programs move from NPI to manufacturing. The work mixes structured projects (supplier/part qualification, RFQs, EC cut-in planning) with a live queue of ad-hoc requests. You’ll sit on the SC PM & Cost Engineering team within Strategic Sourcing.
Key Responsibilities
R&D and Prototype Purchasing
Main point of contact for Electrical Engineering, translating needs into sourcing actions with clear cost, lead-time, and availability calls
Own end-to-end tactical purchasing for R&D/prototype builds — RFQs, PO placement, expedites, delivery follow-through
Source and onboard quick-turn suppliers; negotiate pricing, NRE, and tooling for prototype quantities
Resolve shortages, allocation, and EOL components — alternates with engineering, distributor/broker channels, early risk escalation
Plan and stage material for builds, coordinating kitting and receiving with the shop floor and Quality
NPI Transition to Manufacturing
Support prototype-to-production transition: part qualification, FAI, capacity/lead-time confirmation, handoff to production planning and CMs
Support supplier-side EC execution — change quotes, cut-in timing, disposition of obsolete/excess material
Partner with SCM Program Managers and Commodity Managers so R&D buys land on the right supplier and terms for volume
Systems, Data, and Reporting
Maintain accurate ERP/MRP data — part records, sourcing rules, lead times, pricing — and run MRP to drive buys
Keep open orders and shortage lists current; report cost, schedule, and supply risk to program teams
Resolve receiving, quality, and invoice discrepancies with AP, Quality, and suppliers
Qualifications
BA/BS in Business, Supply Chain, or Engineering, or equivalent experience
3+ years of buyer/planner experience in hardware manufacturing, ideally supporting R&D or NPI
Hands-on ERP/MRP proficiency — POs, part/planning data, running and acting on MRP
Working knowledge of electrical commodities: PCBAs, cables/harnesses, e-boxes/enclosures, connectors, passives
Comfortable reading BOMs and ECs; communicates credibly with design engineers
Highly organized and self-directed under shifting priorities
Preferred Qualifications
Experience with contract manufacturers
Familiarity with obsolescence/allocation markets and AVL management
Experience with a formal EC process or PLM system
Analytics/AI tool experience (dashboards, scripting) for reporting automation
