What we need: The Cell Development team is seeking a hands-on process engineer to drive development of the process for our next generation of cells and advance it through demonstration and toward a reliable product. This PMTS role serves as the recognized authority on yield and reliability for this process, owning and improving it as the program matures. Expect open-ended, ambiguous problems in a fast-paced environment: break complex challenges into well-scoped chunks, drive parallel workstreams to resolution, and synthesize the results into a coherent path forward. Own hard, unsolved problems, lead through technical influence, and help invent what comes next!
What Youll do:- Lead technical strategy and hands-on execution for key next-generation cell process workstreams, driving development and scale-up from early builds through demo and into product
- Set technical direction and priorities to improve cell performance, yield, consistency, and reliability.
- Work directly with cells, experiments, and test data to develop, fix, and improve cell builds and processes
- Partner closely with Failure Analysis and Metrology teams to diagnose root causes of cell-level issues and translate findings into design and process improvements
- Mentor and rally engineers across the broader organization, championing candid feedback and shared ownership
- Communicate progress, risks, and recommendations clearly to collaborators up to and including the executive team
Skills Youll Need:- Bachelors with 10+ years, Masters with 8+, or Ph.D. with 6+ years of experience in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or a closely related field, with a strong background in electrochemistry and battery or electrochemical cell development
- Deep technical expertise in lithium-metal, solid-state, or advanced battery cell technologies, including electrochemistry and failure mechanisms
- Experience taking a process from early development through pilot/demo builds
- Strong analytical skills - be able to decompose ambiguous problems and re-integrate findings into a coherent strategy and actionable path forward
- Ability to set technical priorities under uncertainty and make tradeoffs across performance, manufacturability, yield, reliability, cost, and schedule
- Skilled at aligning multi-functional teams around a technical plan
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Nice to have: - Direct experience with solid-state or lithium-metal cell technology specifically
- Familiarity with statistical process control, DOE, or reliability engineering methodologies
- Experience working with metrology and failure analysis techniques (e.g., CT scanning, SEM, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy)
- Experience mentoring technical contributors and translating R&D findings into specifications, controls, or manufacturing-ready practices
ONSITE: This position requires onsite work 5 days per week to meet its essential duties and requirements. As an on-site R&D and manufacturing organization, face-to-face interaction is vital to building authentic relationships, trust, and teamwork.
Compensation & Benefits: Expected salary range for this role is $136,700 to $208,500 with the final figure determined by the candidates experiencw, educational background and internal equity. QuantumScape also offers an annual bonus and a generous RSU/Equity package as part of its compensation plan. We also offer a tremendous benefits plan, including employee-paid health care and an Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP).
