Senior Director of EHSS

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 EHSS team is a diverse group of engineers that bring various expertise as we interact with some of the most cutting-edge technologies integrating our battery solution. The team prides itself by providing compliant and safe environment both for our workers and in the product design.

What we need: As the Senior Director of EHSS, you will execute and shape strategy for all EHSS activities, including EHSS Strategy Development and Implementation, Environmental Protection, Occupational Health and Safety, Industrial Hygiene, Functional Safety, Safe Equipment Design/Installation/Operation, Emergency Response, ESG Initiatives, Safety Culture implementation, Executive communication, and Employee Development. This role is designed for a high-integrity leader who takes his/her role seriously, makes risk assessment-based decisions, prefers building practical, high-impact systems over rigid, box-ticking administrative frameworks. You will oversee all EHSS aspects of a complex operation that bridges cutting-edge lithium battery R&D with manufacturing.

Key Responsibilities:

Be seen as a Safety leader both within and outside the company. Partner with the executive team to build and execute the EHSS strategic roadmap. Allocate resources appropriately to ensure success.

Safety Program Architecture & Management

• Communicate from Leadership to Technicians using appropriate methods and protocols.
• Develop and manage the EHSS budget, resource allocation, and a multi-year strategic roadmap that scales with the company’s growth.
• Design and implement Safety programs tailored specifically to lithium battery R&D and Manufacturing.
• Lead the Safety Council.
• Oversee Incident Investigation programs, ensuring a culture where reporting is encouraged and root causes lead to systemic engineering controls.

• Manage Hazardous Materials in compliance with local, state, and federal regulations.
• Establish rigorous, common-sense protocols for the procurement, handling, storage, and usage of variety of chemicals.
• Direct the company’s Hazardous Waste program, ensuring 100% compliance with RCRA and local regulations for Large Quantity Generators (LQG).
• Oversee company strategy around recycling.
• Lead the design and maintenance of specialized fire protection strategies for our technology, including thermal runaway mitigation and chemical containment.
• Understand and oversee Functional Safety from Equipment Design to Disposition.
• Lead EHSS training creation and delivery aligned with current technology such as the use of AI in creating hazard specific classes.

Team Leadership & Employee Management

• Manage and mentor a multi-disciplinary EHSS team, setting clear performance expectations and fostering professional development.
• Serve as a visible leader on the manufacturing floor and in the labs, bridging the gap between PhD researchers and production technicians.
• Cultivate a “Culture of Safety” where integrity, the alignment of thought and action, is the standard for every employee.

Regulatory & Sustainability Strategy

• Be seen as a trusted leader both within and outside the company.
• Act as the primary liaison with regulatory agencies (OSHA, EPA, DOT) and manage all environmental permitting.
• Drive sustainability initiatives that focus on the material circularity of lithium batteries and reducing the carbon intensity of the production process.
• Ensure all products and shipping procedures meet global DOT/IATA standards for the transport of batteries.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s Degree required in Chemistry, Environmental Science, Chemical Engineering, Occupational Health, or a related technical field. Master’s or PhD. preferred
• Experience: 20+ years of progressive EHSS experience, with at least 10+ years in an employee management role overseeing diverse teams.
• Domain Expertise: Proven track record in battery, semiconductor, or advanced hardware manufacturing involving complex chemical usage, hazardous waste management, safety systems, and safety leadership
• Leadership Style: A grounded, mission-driven executive who values practical safety solutions over administrative overhead.
• Communication: Exceptional ability to translate complex technical risks into clear, actionable guidance for the CEO and the frontline workforce alike.

This role is for a leader who sees EHSS as a personal mission. You will have the autonomy to build a legacy of safety and sustainability, ensuring that as we power the future of energy, we do so with the highest level of integrity and care for our people. managing our processes and systems, interfacing with multiple departments and external customers.

Physical requirements:

• Sitting or standing for extended periods of time
• Lifting up to 25 lbs

Onsite: This position requires you 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. Emergency Response may require you to come to the site during off-hours.

Compensation & Benefits: Expected salary range for this role is from $231,000 to $300,000 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.