Title:  SMTS, Mechanical Design Engineer

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 and Automation team at QuantumScape is a multidisciplinary group of systems, mechanical, controls, electrical, and automation engineers responsible for designing, developing, and deploying first-of-a-kind manufacturing equipment that enables the scale-up of solid-state battery technology. The team owns equipment solutions from early concept and specification through build, validation, qualification, and production readiness, working in close partnership with cell design, process engineering, metrology, software, quality, EHS, and operations. The team prides itself on hands-on engineering, rigorous problem-solving, technical ownership, and delivering scalable, reliable automation in complex manufacturing environments. 

What we need: The Hardware and Automation team is seeking a Senior Member of Technical Staff (SMTS), Mechanical Design Engineer who is deeply experienced in automation equipment design and motivated by building first-of-a-kind manufacturing tools from concept through production. In this role, you will own the mechanical design of custom automation equipment across the full equipment lifecycle, from early concept and prototyping through detailed design, build, FAT/SAT, qualification, and handoff to manufacturing. You will work closely with systems, controls, electrical, process, metrology, manufacturing, quality, and EHS partners. You will play a critical role in defining mechanical architecture, managing technical risk, and ensuring designs are robust, manufacturable, serviceable, scalable, and safe. We are looking for someone who is hands-on, comfortable operating in ambiguity, able to exercise independent technical judgment, and motivated to help define mechanical design standards and best practices across the organization. This opportunity offers significant technical ownership, cross-functional influence, and the ability to shape how advanced automation equipment is designed and scaled at QuantumScape. If you enjoy solving challenging mechanical problems, mentoring others, and delivering production-ready hardware, we would like to hear from you. 

As an SMTS Mechanical Design Engineer, you will have the opportunity to lead critical equipment designs, influence cross-functional technical decisions, and establish scalable mechanical solutions for next-generation manufacturing systems. 

What You’ll do: 

• Lead the mechanical design and development of critical, first-of-a-kind automation, process equipment, tooling, fixtures, and metrology-enabled systems supporting QuantumScape’s next-generation energy-storage technology. 

• Own the mechanical design scope end to end, from early concept definition and requirements development through detailed design, prototyping, build, verification, qualification, and handoff to manufacturing, with accountability for technical decisions, risk mitigation, and design readiness. 

• Drive hands-on mechanical design, prototyping, assembly, troubleshooting, and validation to identify robust and scalable solutions suitable for pilot and volume production. 

• Define mechanical architecture, subsystem interfaces, tolerance strategies, and design approaches while incorporating DFM/DFA, reliability, maintainability, ergonomics, serviceability, and safety. 

• Apply engineering analysis and physics-based reasoning to estimate loads, evaluate factors of safety, select materials and components, and validate mechanical performance through testing and experimentation. 

• Lead mechanical design reviews and technical risk assessments, and document requirements, engineering calculations, design decisions, validation results, and design readiness. 

• Partner closely with systems, controls, electrical, software, process, metrology, manufacturing, quality, and EHS teams to deliver integrated equipment solutions throughout the design lifecycle. 

• Engage suppliers and machine integrators through equipment specifications, technical reviews, build oversight, FAT/SAT, issue resolution, qualification, and production handoff. 

• Provide technical leadership within the mechanical design function by mentoring engineers, influencing best practices, and helping establish mechanical design standards and reusable solutions across the Hardware and Automation team. 

Skills You’ll Need: 

• Master’s degree or equivalent in Mechanical Engineering or a closely related field with typically 3+ years of relevant industry or applied engineering experience; or a Bachelor’s degree with 5+ years of progressively responsible mechanical engineering experience; or a Ph.D. with no prior industry experience required. 

• Deep, hands-on expertise in mechanism design, precision hardware, tooling, fixtures, and custom automation equipment, including ownership of complex mechanical systems. 

• Advanced proficiency in a major 3D CAD platform such as SolidWorks, Autodesk Inventor, or CATIA, with the ability to produce production-ready parts, assemblies, drawings, and released design packages. 

• Strong working knowledge of ASME Y14.5 GD&T standards, tolerance analysis, dimensional controls, and their application to detailed mechanical drawings. 

• Practical experience with component manufacturing methods, including machining, sheet-metal fabrication, additive manufacturing, and mechanical assembly processes. 

• Demonstrated ability to apply strength of materials, machine design theory, and physics-based engineering judgment to estimate loads, evaluate factors of safety, select materials, and size mechanical components for reliability and scalability. 

• Experience leading design reviews, technical risk assessments, design verification and validation, equipment qualification, and structured root-cause problem-solving. 

• Proven ability to exercise independent technical judgment, solve complex and ambiguous mechanical problems, make sound engineering tradeoffs, and influence design decisions across teams. 

• Effective collaboration and communication skills across mechanical, systems, controls, electrical, process, metrology, manufacturing, quality, and EHS disciplines, with minimal supervision. 

• Ability to create clear equipment specifications, engineering calculations, test plans, technical reports, and concise design-review materials. 

• Willingness to support limited travel, approximately 5% domestic and 5% international, for supplier engagement, build reviews, and equipment qualification. 

Nice to have: 

• 1-2 years of experience designing equipment for solid-state battery, lithium-ion battery, fuel-cell, semiconductor, or other high-precision manufacturing environments. 

• Experience designing equipment for cleanroom or dry-room environments and addressing specialized material-handling constraints. 

• Working knowledge of machine safety, controls architecture, industrial sensors, robotics, machine vision, metrology systems, PFMEA, OEE, and equipment validation methods. 

• Certification or advanced training in ASME Y14.5 GD&T standards. 

• Certification or advanced training in SolidWorks, Autodesk Inventor, CATIA, or another major 3D CAD platform. 

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 $112,500 to $163,200, 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 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.