Head of Data Center Storage Energy System Engineering

QuantumScape Corporation•San Jose, CA

1d•$212,700 - $297,803•Onsite

About The Position

QuantumScape is seeking a seasoned engineering leader with deep data center power expertise and a drive to innovate. This role will lead the technical strategy and engineering execution for applying QuantumScape's solid-state battery platform to data center energy systems. It's a ground-floor leadership opportunity with significant impact on future infrastructure challenges. The ideal candidate will be a first-principles thinker, willing to write the playbook rather than follow an existing one.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Power Systems Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical discipline
20+ years of experience in data center infrastructure engineering, power systems, energy storage, or related fields.
Expert-level knowledge of data center power architecture — spanning both legacy (UPS systems, PDU design, generator backup, traditional battery technologies) and emerging (Open Rack, 48V DC, AI cluster power density, software-defined power infrastructure).
Familiarity with stationary energy storage systems — including Li-ion and emerging chemistries — as applied to backup power, peak shaving, demand response, or grid edge applications.
Demonstrated track record of leading and scaling engineering teams (25+ engineers), including hiring, performance management, and organizational design.
Budget ownership experience — cost center management, multi-year forecasting, and cross-functional resource allocation.
Hands-on experience with industry standards participation (OCP, IEEE, ASHRAE, UL, or similar) — as an active contributor or working group leader.
Experience building and managing strategic technical partnerships with vendors, ODMs, or infrastructure operators.
Strong executive presence and communication skills — ability to translate deep technical insight into compelling narratives for C-suite, customers, and investors.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree or Ph.D. preferred, particularly in power electronics, electrochemical systems, or energy engineering.
Direct experience with solid-state, lithium-metal, or other advanced battery chemistries in system-level applications.
Background in AI/ML/HPC infrastructure power and energy management (GPU clusters, high-density compute pods, LLM training infrastructure).
Experience with renewable energy integration into data center microgrids — solar, wind buffering, demand response programs.
Familiarity with safety standards for large-format battery systems in commercial/industrial environments (NFPA 855, UL 9540, IEC 62619).
Experience at or with hyperscale operators (cloud providers, colocation companies) as a customer, vendor, or partner.
Prior experience at a hardware startup or deep-tech company bringing new technology from R&D to commercial deployment.
Published work, patents, or recognized industry contributions in power systems or energy storage.

Responsibilities

Define the technical roadmap for integrating solid-state battery storage into data center power systems, from rack-level UPS replacement to building-scale energy buffering and behind-the-meter storage.
Challenge conventional assumptions about VRLA/Li-ion UPS designs, backup power topologies, and peak shaving architectures, and propose new possibilities based on fundamental battery chemistry changes.
Lead architecture studies and feasibility assessments for deploying QuantumScape technology in hyperscale, colocation, and edge data center environments.
Bridge the gap between QuantumScape's cell-level innovations (energy density >844 Wh/L, rapid charge capability) and the system-level requirements of large-scale power infrastructure.
Serve as the organization's foremost authority on data center power architecture, including legacy systems (AC/DC distribution, 480V/208V power chains, traditional UPS topologies, VRLA/Li-ion battery systems, N+1 and 2N redundancy models, generator backup integration) and emerging systems (48V DC rack power, Open Rack V3, high-density AI/GPU pod power delivery, direct liquid cooling (DLC) power integration, rack-level power controllers, software-defined power, and AI-driven energy management).
Develop reference architectures and system integration specifications for QuantumScape battery-based energy storage solutions within data center environments.
Drive power efficiency and sustainability impact, enabling customers to reduce PUE, meet carbon goals, and manage renewable intermittency with high-density stationary storage.
Represent QuantumScape in key industry standards and open hardware bodies, with priority focus on Open Compute Project (OCP) working groups on power architecture, rack energy systems, and stationary storage integration, as well as ASHRAE, IEEE, UL, and NFPA standards bodies relevant to data center power and battery safety, and SNIA, JEDEC, and emerging data center energy consortia.
Build QuantumScape's reputation as a thought leader in next-generation data center energy through white papers, keynotes, and industry convenings.
Identify and influence pre-competitive standardization opportunities that accelerate solid-state battery adoption in infrastructure.
Support the business team to identify, qualify, and develop deep technical partnerships with key ecosystem players: hyperscale operators, colocation providers, ODMs, power electronics vendors, inverter/UPS manufacturers, and system integrators.
Co-develop joint reference architectures and go-to-market technical solutions with strategic partners.
Serve as the senior technical interface for customer engagement, translating customer power and reliability requirements into QuantumScape product development inputs.
Build, mentor, and scale a world-class team of systems engineers, power electronics engineers, integration architects, software, and application engineers focused on data center energy storage.
Establish an engineering culture defined by first-principles thinking, intellectual curiosity, rigorous execution, and a shared belief that the best solutions haven't been invented yet.
Define hiring plans, career ladders, and development frameworks; attract top talent from the power systems, data center infrastructure, and advanced battery sectors.
Own the engineering budget for the Data Center Energy Systems group, including headcount, lab infrastructure, partner development, and program investments.
Develop annual and multi-year budget forecasts and report actuals vs. plan to BU leadership and the executive team.
Drive program discipline, including milestone definition, risk management, and on-time delivery of customer commitments and product development gates.