Principal/Staff People Business Partner

Principal/Staff People Business Partner

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.

QuantumScape is seeking a Principal/Staff ? level People Business Partner to support senior leaders and operational teams through significant growth and organizational evolution. This role sits at the intersection of business strategy, organizational effectiveness, and employee experience. As a trusted advisor, the People Business Partner partners closely with leaders to anticipate needs, diagnose organizational challenges, and translate business priorities into effective people strategies. This is a high ? impact, onsite role in San Jose, requiring strong judgment, influence, and the ability to operate with credibility at senior levels.

What You'll do:

• Strategic Business Partnership: Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leaders, translating business strategy into people priorities that drive performance and scale. Apply systems thinking to organizational design, workforce planning, succession planning, and operating ? model evolution. Proactively assess organizational health using data, leader insight, and employee feedback to inform decisions.
• Talent, Leadership & Performance: Guide leaders through talent processes including goal setting, performance reviews, calibrations, talent assessments, and succession planning. Coach leaders on performance management, leadership effectiveness, and team dynamics, including difficult or complex situations. Support leadership capability ? building through targeted interventions, feedback, and development initiatives.
• Employee Relations & Risk Management: Independently manage complex and sensitive employee relations matters, including investigations, conflict resolution, and performance improvement plans. Ensure consistent application of policies and alignment with federal, state (California), and local employment laws. Partner closely with Legal and People Operations to mitigate risk while supporting thoughtful, people ? centered outcomes. Maintain thorough, objective documentation of employee relations matters, investigations, and performance actions to support consistent decision ? making, risk mitigation, and compliance.
• Culture, Engagement & Change: Champion a high ? trust, high ? performance culture aligned with QuantumScape values. Support engagement strategies, surveys, and action planning to strengthen employee experience. Lead and support change initiatives tied to organizational shifts, growth, or strategic transformation.
• Operational Excellence & Capability Building: Use people analytics and insights to influence leadership decisions and measure impact. Identify opportunities to improve, standardize, and scale People Business Partner practices. Mentor and support other People Business Partners or HR team members, as appropriate. Contribute to cross ? functional and People & Culture initiatives as a senior team member.

Skills You'll need: Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business, or a related field (or equivalent experience) and 10+ years of progressive experience in HR or People Business Partner roles. (Master's degree & minimum of 8+ years also acceptable) Demonstrated success partnering with senior leaders in complex, fast ? moving organizations. Strong expertise in employee relations, performance management, and employment law (especially California). Proven ability to influence without authority and operate with sound judgment in ambiguous situations. Strong analytical, communication, and relationship ? building skills.

Nice to have: Experience spanning start ? up and large enterprise environments, adapting approaches to varying levels of scale and maturity. Experience supporting organizational change or operating ? model transitions. Learning or Coaching certification a plus. Experience mentoring or guiding other HR or People Business Partner professionals.

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: The salary range for this position begins at around $123,500 to $188,400 with final compensation resolved based on the candidate's experience and qualifications. QuantumScape also provides an annual bonus and a comprehensive RSU/Equity package as part of its overall compensation strategy. Additionally, our benefits offer include employer-paid healthcare, participation in the Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP), and a variety of other attractive perks.

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.