Hardware Engineer, Battery Systems

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 role: As a hardware engineer, you own the electrical design of the battery management system. From AFE architecture to temperature monitoring, to selecting fuses and FETs for protection, you ensure the battery pack can work reliably under all conditions without compromising safety.Why this role matters: As the hardware engineer for battery systems, you are responsible for all design aspects of the battery management system. You will collaborate closely with the mechanical engineering team to create state-of-the-art designs with high power and energy density, while meeting all regulatory safety requirements. You will also work with the firmware team closely to ensure all functions are implemented properly and validated thoroughly.What you'll do:Design BMS system with pack voltages up to 600V and power >20kWCreate schematics and design PCB for the BMSDefine connection for voltage sensing, balancing and temperature monitoringSelect protection devices based on worst case operating conditionsCollaborate with mechanical engineers to design heat sinks and wiring harnessesImplement inrush current limiting featuresEnsure hardware redundancy on critical protection functionsClosely work with marketing team to generate detailed engineering specificationsPerform design margin analysis and DFMEASpecify design verification tests to ensure functional performance and regulatory compliance of the battery packSupport UL 1973 and UL 9540A safety certification activitiesWork with external design teams to ensure the battery pack integrates well in its applicationWhat you bring:a relevant Bachelor’s degree and 9+ years’ experience or a relevant Master’s degree and 8+ years’ experience or relevant Ph.D. and 5+ years’ experience 5+ years in battery pack or BMS design with at least two products through prototype validation or productionFamiliar with schematic and PCB design tools like Altium or CadenceIn depth understanding of Li-Ion battery technology and protectionsExpertise in designing analog, digital and generic power circuits, especially on low power design for battery applicationsFamiliar with simulation tools such as PSPICE, LTSpice, Simulink and PSIMGood PCB layout knowledge including high-speed design, thermal design, design for manufacturing and EMI mitigation techniques.Understand component management and BOM structures, capable of identifying agency critical components and verifying safety specificationsExperienced in designing, bringing up, testing and troubleshooting brand new platformsAnalysis of circuit components, including their thermal and magnetic propertiesGood understanding of grounding, isolation, creepage/clearance and hi-pot testingCapable of creating thorough DVT plans to validate product specificationsDesign for reliability using tools such as design margin analysis, DFMEA and HALTExperience with battery safety standards, such as UL1973, UL9540A and IEC62619Comfortable of collaborating with mechanical, firmware and marketing teams.Good at generating engineering documentation such as specifications, block diagrams, design review presentations, assembly drawings, and test reportsNice to have:Previous experience in Data center power and energy products (CBU/BBU/EBM, etc)Hands-on PCB layout experienceDirect experience supporting PCBA manufacturingHigh-voltage battery pack design up to 800V+High-current design of >100AExperience in scalable modular systems with hot-swap capabilitiesExperience in a customer facing application engineering roleKnowledge of power electronic circuits (AC/DC, DC/DC, Inverter, etc)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.