SMTS, Mechanical Design Engineer
About The Position
QuantumScape is seeking a Senior Mechanical Design Engineer, Senior Member of Technical Staff (SMTS), for its Hardware, Automation, and Metrology team. The team designs, develops, and deploys first-of-a-kind manufacturing equipment to scale solid-state battery technology, collaborating with cell design, process engineering, metrology, data automation, and operations. The engineer will own mechanical design of custom automation equipment across its lifecycle, from concept and prototyping through detailed design, build, qualification, factory and site acceptance testing (FAT/SAT), and handoff to manufacturing. The role includes defining mechanical architecture, managing design risk, and ensuring equipment is robust, manufacturable, serviceable, and safe. It requires hands-on engineering and comfort working in ambiguous, technically complex manufacturing environments, as well as mentoring colleagues and contributing to mechanical design standards and best practices.
Requirements
- Master’s degree or equivalent in Mechanical Engineering or a closely related field and typically 3+ years of relevant industry or applied engineering experience; or a Bachelor’s degree and 5+ years of progressively responsible mechanical engineering experience; or a Ph.D. with no experience.
- Deep, hands-on expertise in mechanism, hardware, and automation equipment design, including ownership of complex mechanical systems.
- Practical experience with machining, additive manufacturing (3D printing), and sheet metal fabrication.
- Advanced proficiency with 3D CAD tools such as SolidWorks, Inventor, and CATIA, including producing production-ready models and assemblies.
- Strong working knowledge of ASME Y14.5 GD&T standards and their application to detailed mechanical drawings.
- Ability to apply strength of materials, machine design theory, and physics-based reasoning to estimate loads, assess factors of safety, select materials, and size mechanical components for reliability and scalability.
- Ability to exercise independent technical judgment, solve complex and ambiguous mechanical problems, and influence design best practices across teams.
- Ability to collaborate across mechanical systems, controls, electrical, process, manufacturing, and EHS disciplines with minimal supervision.
- Willingness to travel approximately 5% domestically and 5% internationally for supplier engagement, build reviews, and equipment qualification.
Nice To Haves
- 1–2 years of experience designing solid-state, lithium-ion, or fuel-cell battery cell manufacturing systems.
- GD&T certification.
- 3D CAD tools certification.
Responsibilities
- Lead mechanical design and development of first-of-a-kind automation and process equipment supporting QuantumScape’s next-generation energy storage technology.
- Own mechanical design scope from concept definition through detailed design, build, qualification, and handoff to manufacturing, including technical decisions, risk mitigation, and design readiness.
- Perform hands-on mechanical design, prototyping, and validation to identify robust, scalable solutions suitable for volume production.
- Define mechanical architecture, subsystem interfaces, and design approaches incorporating design for manufacturing and assembly (DFM/DFA), reliability, maintainability, and safety.
- Partner with systems, controls, electrical, process, manufacturing, and EHS teams through specifications, design reviews, prototyping, assembly, testing, FAT/SAT, and continuous improvement.
- Mentor engineers, influence best practices, and help shape mechanical design standards across HAM.
Benefits
- Annual bonus.
- RSU/equity package.
- Employee-paid health care.
- Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP).
- Other benefits.
Stand Out From the Crowd
Upload your resume and get instant feedback on how well it matches this job.
What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
