Staff Thermal/ Mechanical Engineer, Battery System
About The Position
QuantumScape is seeking a Staff Thermal/ Mechanical Engineer, Battery System to own the physical design of its product, translating circuit boards and battery packs into a manufacturable shelf that fits a rack, withstands data center conditions, and can be quickly serviced. The role is central to meeting hyperscaler rack geometry and integration requirements and serves as the primary mechanical interface to hyperscaler teams during qualification. The engineer will enable power electronics and battery cells to coexist in a compact enclosure while supporting qualification timelines and product manufacturability. The position is onsite five days per week. The expected salary range is $136,700 to $208,500, with final compensation based on experience, education, and internal equity. Compensation also includes an annual bonus and RSU/equity package. Benefits include employee-paid health care, an Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP), and other benefits.
Requirements
- At least 8 years designing thermal-mechanical enclosures for rack-mount power, compute, or telecom equipment.
- 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.
- Demonstrated experience with CFD thermal simulation tools such as Ansys Icepak, FloTHERM, or 6SigmaET; this is not optional.
- Proficiency in SolidWorks or Creo for detailed mechanical design.
- Experience with sheet metal design for volume manufacturing, including bend radii, punching or stamping, spot welding, and tolerance stack-up analysis.
- A track record of designs that went through contract manufacturing and passed thermal validation in a production or data center environment.
- Understanding of airflow management in forced-convection rack environments.
- Ability to work onsite five days per week.
Nice To Haves
- Direct experience with OCP Open Rack or ORv3 mechanical specifications.
- Prior work on battery pack thermal management in EV, stationary storage, or telecom backup applications.
- Exposure to liquid cooling or cold plate design.
- Experience with blind-mate connector integration, including Amphenol, TE Connectivity, or Molex high-power connectors.
- Familiarity with UL 62368-1 mechanical and flammability requirements and UL 1973 battery enclosure requirements.
- Knowledge of IP67/NEMA ratings for potential edge or outdoor deployment variants.
- Experience with vibration and shock testing per ISTA 3-series or GR-63-CORE.
Responsibilities
- Design complete 1OU or 2OU mechanical enclosures in SolidWorks or Creo, including sheet metal chassis, busbar routing, structural supports, and external connector interfaces.
- Address thermal management for power semiconductors and magnetics alongside battery cells using airflow paths, thermal isolation zones, heat spreaders, and fan selection.
- Run CFD simulations to optimize airflow under worst-case operating conditions, including full electrical load, elevated inlet temperatures, and fan degradation.
- Design to OCP ORv3 mechanical specifications, including shelf dimensions, connector position, airflow direction, ejector handles, guide rail interface, and weight limits.
- Develop hot-swap sled mechanisms with appropriate insertion and extraction forces, blind-mate power connector alignment, and guide rail compliance for tool-less serviceability.
- Collaborate with the battery systems engineer on cell pack mounting, compression, thermal interface materials, and mechanical isolation.
- Perform vibration and shock analysis for shipping and seismic requirements.
- Lead design-for-manufacturing engagement with contract manufacturers, covering tolerances, tooling, bend radii, spot welding, PEM fastener insertion, and assembly sequence optimization.
- Support UL 62368-1 mechanical and flammability requirements, including material selection, spacing, and enclosure integrity.
- Interface directly with hyperscaler mechanical integration teams during qualification reviews.
Benefits
- Annual bonus
- RSU/equity package
- Employee-paid health care
- Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP)
- Other benefits
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
