Staff Hardware Engineer, Battery Systems

QuantumScape Corporation•San Jose, CA

24d•$136,700 - $208,500•Onsite

About The Position

QuantumScape is developing solid-state lithium-metal battery technology intended to improve energy density, charging speed, and safety. The Staff Hardware Engineer, Battery Systems, owns the electrical design of the battery management system (BMS), including analog front-end architecture, temperature monitoring, and selection of protection devices. The role ensures reliable, safe battery-pack operation and collaborates with mechanical engineering, firmware, marketing, and external design teams to develop and validate battery-pack designs that meet regulatory requirements.

Requirements

A relevant bachelor's degree and at least 9 years of experience, a relevant master's degree and at least 8 years of experience, or a relevant Ph.D. and at least 5 years of experience.
At least 5 years of battery-pack or BMS design experience, with at least two products taken through prototype validation or production.
Familiarity with schematic and PCB design tools such as Altium or Cadence.
In-depth understanding of lithium-ion battery technology and protections.
Expertise in analog, digital, and general power-circuit design, especially low-power design for battery applications.
Familiarity with simulation tools such as PSPICE, LTSpice, Simulink, and PSIM.
PCB layout knowledge, including high-speed design, thermal design, design for manufacturing, and EMI mitigation techniques.
Understanding of component management and BOM structures, including identifying agency-critical components and verifying safety specifications.
Experience designing, bringing up, testing, and troubleshooting new platforms.
Ability to analyze circuit components, including their thermal and magnetic properties.
Understanding of grounding, isolation, creepage and clearance, and hi-pot testing.
Ability to create thorough DVT plans to validate product specifications.
Experience designing for reliability using tools such as design margin analysis, DFMEA, and HALT.
Experience with battery safety standards such as UL 1973, UL 9540A, and IEC 62619.
Comfort collaborating with mechanical, firmware, and marketing teams.
Ability to produce engineering documentation such as specifications, block diagrams, design review presentations, assembly drawings, and test reports.

Nice To Haves

Previous experience with data-center power and energy products, such as CBU, BBU, or EBM.
Hands-on PCB layout experience.
Direct experience supporting PCBA manufacturing.
High-voltage battery-pack design up to 800V or higher.
High-current design above 100A.
Experience with scalable modular systems with hot-swap capabilities.
Experience in a customer-facing application engineering role.
Knowledge of power-electronic circuits such as AC/DC, DC/DC, and inverters.

Responsibilities

Design BMS systems for pack voltages up to 600V and power greater than 20kW.
Create schematics and design BMS printed circuit boards.
Define connections for voltage sensing, balancing, and temperature monitoring.
Select protection devices based on worst-case operating conditions.
Collaborate with mechanical engineers on heat sinks and wiring harnesses.
Implement inrush-current-limiting features.
Ensure hardware redundancy for critical protection functions.
Work with the marketing team to generate detailed engineering specifications.
Perform design margin analysis and DFMEA.
Specify design verification tests for functional performance and regulatory compliance of the battery pack.
Support UL 1973 and UL 9540A safety certification activities.
Work with external design teams to ensure the battery pack integrates well into its application.