Title:  Failure Analysis Engineer NGP

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 Failure Analysis (FA) team at QuantumScape plays a critical role in advancing next‑generation battery technology by uncovering the true root causes behind defects and reliability issues. We are a highly collaborative, cross‑functional group with deep expertise across engineering, materials science, reliability, and manufacturing.

As an onsite R&D and manufacturing organization, we work closely with reliability, product engineering, and manufacturing partners to rapidly learn from failures and translate insights into design and process improvements. The team values curiosity, rigor, teamwork, and hands‑on problem‑solving, and provides strong mentorship for early‑career engineers.

What we need: We are seeking a Failure Analysis Engineer who is intellectually curious, eager to learn, and excited to build a foundation in failure analysis and reliability engineering. This role is ideal for a recent bachelor’s graduate who enjoys hands‑on lab work, data analysis, and systematic problem‑solving.

You will work alongside experienced FA and reliability engineers to support investigations, analyze data, and help characterize failure mechanisms. Through structured mentorship and real project exposure, you’ll develop strong technical fundamentals, communication skills, and an understanding of how failure analysis informs design and manufacturing decisions at scale.

What You’ll Do:

• Support hands‑on failure analysis on components and systems under guidance from senior engineers.
• Assist in data collection, organization, and analysis to identify patterns and trends in defect and reliability data.
• Learn and apply foundational statistical and analytical techniques to support reliability characterization.
• Contribute to dashboards, data summaries, and visualizations that help teams quickly understand key signals.
• Document findings in clear, well‑structured technical reports and presentations.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional partners in reliability, manufacturing, and product engineering to support root‑cause investigations and corrective actions.
• Participate in lab work, sample preparation, and characterization activities as part of ongoing investigations.

Skills & Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or a related technical field (completed or expected by start date).
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, with a curiosity for understanding failure mechanisms.
• Basic familiarity with data analysis or programming tools (e.g., Python, MATLAB, R, JMP, or similar).
• Ability to clearly communicate technical information in written reports and presentations.
• Willingness to work hands‑on in a laboratory and manufacturing‑adjacent environment.

Nice to Have:

• Coursework or project experience related to failure analysis, materials characterization, reliability, or statistics.
• Exposure to statistical concepts (e.g., distributions, basic reliability metrics).
• Internship, co‑op, or research experience in an engineering or manufacturing environment.
• Interest in energy storage, batteries, or high‑reliability systems.

The Opportunity:

• Hands‑on learning: Build a strong technical foundation in failure analysis through real investigations and lab work.
• Mentorship: Learn directly from experienced FA and reliability engineers in a collaborative environment.
• Impact: See how data‑driven failure analysis informs design and manufacturing decisions across the company.

Growth: Develop technical, analytical, and communication skills that support long‑term career growth at QuantumScape.

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 essential duties of the role. As an on‑site R&D and manufacturing organization, in‑person collaboration is critical to building strong working relationships, accelerating learning, and solving complex technical challenges.

Compensation & Benefits: Expected salary range for this role is from $88,000 to $101,000, and a final salary will be determined by the candidate's experience and educational background. 

QuantumScape also offers an annual bonus and a generous RSU/Equity package as part of its compensation plan. In addition, we do offer a tremendous 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.