Principal Mechanical Engineer (CA, US, 95131)

QuantumScape; United States; On-site; USD 123,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

RSU/Equity package

Annual bonus

Job summary

QuantumScape seeks a Mechanical Engineer, Principal MT Staff, to lead the design, analysis, build, and validation of automation equipment and tooling for solid-state battery manufacturing. The role demands hands-on, data-driven problem solving and cross-functional leadership in a fast-paced R&D to production environment.

You will mentor engineers, drive production-ready solutions, and engage suppliers for critical components while ensuring safety and quality across the project life cycle.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, Manufacturing Engineering, Aerospace Engineering or Materials Science.
• 10+ years of experience in mechanical design, automation, tooling, manufacturing scale-up, or related environments.
• Proven leadership of complex technical projects improving capability, yield, throughput, safety, or cost.
• Expert proficiency with 3D CAD, GD&T, tolerance analysis, and design for manufacturability/assembly.

Responsibilities

• Lead mechanical architecture, design, build, and validation of automation equipment and metrology-enabled systems from concept to qualification.
• Serve as a technical expert for precision motion, material handling, cleanroom constraints, safety, reliability, and manufacturability.
• Collaborate with process, controls, software, metrology, quality, safety, production, and equipment teams to improve yield and throughput.
• Translate process and product requirements into machine specifications, risk assessments, and validation plans.

Skills

Project leadership

3D CAD

GD&T

Tolerance analysis

Design for manufacturability

Automation equipment design

Cross-functional collaboration

Problem solving

Safety leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree or higher in Mechanical Engineering or related field

Tools

3D CAD software

Job description

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.

About the team:

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.

What we need:

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.

What You’ll do:

• 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.

Skills You’ll Need:

• 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 have:

• 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.

Physical requirements:

• Work is performed in a dry room, fume hood, lab area, or glovebox requiring the use of fine motor skills
• Sitting or standing for extended periods of time
• Reaching and twisting motions with hands
• Lifting up to 25 lbs.

ONSITE:

This position is required to work onsite 5 days per week to meet the minimum essential duties and requirements of this position. As an on-site R&D and manufacturing operations organization, in-person face-to-face interaction is essential to building authentic relationships, trust, teamwork, and collaboration.

Compensation & Benefits:

Expected salary range for this role is from $136,700 to $184,500, and a final salary will be determined by the candidate’s experience, educational background and internal equity. QuantumScape also offers an annual bonus and a generous RSU/Equity package as part of its compensation plan. In addition, we offer a comprehensive benefits plan including employee-paid health care, Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP), and other benefits.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request an accommodation.