Senior Materials Researcher

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 longer range, faster charging and enhanced safety in electric vehicles to support the transition away from legacy energy sources toward a lower carbon future.

We are developing solid state batteries that will power the next generation of transportation. You will work with the co-founder and CTO plus a small team of materials scientists, chemists, process engineers, and domain experts in an exciting, multidisciplinary environment. You will prototype new materials, test platforms, and production processes to help put our technology on the road. Your background preferably includes battery cathode materials, electrolytes, and their interactions.You love moving quickly and working on groundbreaking technologies. Your responsibility will be to develop robust measurement techniques to evaluate materials for their requirements to achieve the desired cell performance.
In the course of your work, you will become proficient in the increasingly impactful battery industry and be able to anticipate our research team's needs. You are a good communicator and an extraordinary teammate. You seek out challenges and learning opportunities. You want to work in a startup environment: a fast pace energizes you, you can wear several hats and pitch in where needed.
In this role, you will:Establish robust measurement methods to evaluate the performance of different materials and provide feedback for materials selectionQuickly prototype different approaches for pathfinding in larger projects as well as to deploy one-off solutions
Minimum requirements:BS in a relevant technical field. MS and/or PhD is preferred5+ years of relevant experience
Highly Desired:Experience with gas evolution, GC-MS, RGA, DEMS, in-situ, and cathodes.You have set up measurement platforms to understand degradation mechanisms in batteries (e.g. DEMS or other in situ methods)You have worked with battery materials, preferably lithium conducting electrolytes and/or cathode materialsAbility to work independently in designing test plans, performing experiments, analyzing data, and presenting resultsProven experience using material characterization toolsSelf-motivated with a track record of learning new skills and applying them to achieve resultsAbility to thrive in a dynamic, technically ambitious environment and quickly adapt to changes




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.