Senior Buyer / NPI Buyer Electronics

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

This position is onsite at our Menlo Park HQ. The salary will be adjusted to reflect local market conditions based on employee location as well as the experience of the employee. Along with the base salary, Mainspring offers pre-IPO stock options + benefits.

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.