Principal Mechanical Engineer

QuantumScape Corporation•San Jose, CA

4d•$136,700 - $184,500•Onsite

About The Position

QuantumScape is on a mission to transform energy storage with solid-state lithium-metal battery technology. The company’s next-generation batteries are designed to enable greater energy density, faster charging and enhanced safety to support the transition away from legacy energy sources toward a lower carbon future. The Hardware, Automation, and Metrology team develops first-of-its-kind automation, tooling, precision mechanical systems, and metrology-enabled equipment used to scale QuantumScape’s solid-state lithium-metal battery manufacturing processes from proof-of-concept through production qualification. The team partners closely with process development, controls, software, metrology, quality, safety, production, and equipment teams to improve yield, uptime, throughput, capability, and product performance. We are looking to add a Mechanical Engineer, Principal Member of Technical Staff (PMTS) to the Hardware, Automation, and Metrology team. This individual will serve as a senior technical leader for complex mechanical design, automation equipment, process tooling, fixtures, and metrology-enabled systems. The ideal candidate is a hands-on, data-driven problem solver who can translate early-stage process and product requirements into robust machine specifications, design requirements, risk assessments, validation plans, and production-ready engineering solutions.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or higher in Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, Manufacturing Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Materials Science, or a related technical discipline, with 10+ years of experience (BS), 8+ years (MS), or 5+ years (PhD) in mechanical design, automation, tooling, equipment development, manufacturing scale-up, or related engineering environments.
Demonstrated record of leading complex technical projects that materially improve manufacturing capability, yield, throughput, reliability, safety, or cost.
Expert proficiency with 3D CAD, GD&T, tolerance analysis, design for manufacturability/assembly, and release of production-ready mechanical designs.
Experience designing precision automation, fixtures, tooling, or equipment for high-volume or pilot-scale manufacturing.
Strong written, verbal, organizational, and cross-functional leadership skills.
Recognized technical expert who can independently solve highly complex problems and make sound engineering tradeoffs with incomplete or changing information.
Hands-on, data-driven problem solver who moves quickly between design, analysis, experimentation, floor support, and supplier execution.
Able to lead cooperative efforts across multiple teams, teach best practices, and raise the technical judgment of the broader organization.
Communicates clearly through specifications, design reviews, risk registers, test reports, and concise executive-level summaries.
Demonstrates ownership, safety leadership, urgency, flexibility, and commitment to QuantumScape’s mission.

Nice To Haves

Cleanroom, dry-room, or battery manufacturing experience.
Working knowledge of controls architecture, machine safety, sensors, vision/metrology systems, PFMEA, OEE, and validation methods.
Experience supporting supplier technical reviews, factory acceptance testing, site acceptance testing, and production handoff for custom automation equipment.

Responsibilities

Lead the mechanical architecture, design, analysis, build, and validation of automation equipment, process tooling, fixtures, and metrology-enabled systems from concept through production qualification.
Serve as a technical expert for complex mechanical design problems involving precision motion, material handling, dry-room/cleanroom constraints, process windows, safety, reliability, and manufacturability.
Partner with process, controls, software, metrology, quality, safety, production, and equipment teams to improve yield, uptime, throughput, capability, and product performance.
Translate early-stage process and product requirements into machine specifications, design requirements, risk assessments, validation plans, and robust engineering solutions.
Lead supplier and integrator engagement for critical components and equipment, including technical specifications, design reviews, build oversight, acceptance testing, and production handoff.
Provide technical guidance to engineers and technicians, establish best practices, and influence cross-functional decisions affecting cost, schedule, performance, safety, DFM, and DFA.