Senior Quality Engineer – Job Description (Short version)

Role Overview:

As the first person in our quality function, you will be pivotal in establishing and leading quality processes and culture as we transition from R&D to mass production. This role is critical to defining quality standards for engineering, supply chain, and production, owning quality management for pilot and full-scale manufacturing, and preparing for ISO 9001 certification. You will champion a culture of quality in a dynamic tech startup, with growth potential to lead a team of ~5 within three years.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop quality management systems for engineering, testing, R&D, supply chain, and production, ensuring alignment with stringent requirements.
• Lead ISO 9001 certification preparation, establishing processes and documentation.
• Define quality requirements for engineering, testing, and supply chain teams.
• Own quality assurance/control for pilot production and future manufacturing.
• Use quality tools (e.g., Six Sigma, Lean, FMEA, SPC) to drive continuous improvement.
• Foster a culture of quality, leading with influence to embed excellence across teams.
• Build the foundation for a quality team, with potential to grow into a managerial role.

Qualifications:

Hard Skills:

• Experience scaling quality processes from initial stages through significant company growth (e.g., from startup to established operations), ideally with complex products (industry flexible).
• Expertise in ISO 9001 and preparing companies for certification.
• Knowledge of quality requirements for engineering design, testing and supply chain.
• Familiarity with quality tools (e.g., Six Sigma, Lean, FMEA, SPC).

Soft Skills:

• Exceptional leadership to introduce a culture of quality in a high-growth startup.
• Hands-on and adaptable, thriving in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
• Alignment with our values of innovation, humility, and collaboration.
• Proven success in diverse, international teams with strong English proficiency.
• Growth-oriented, with resilience to build a quality function from scratch.

Why This Role?

Be the first to shape our quality portfolio at a groundbreaking technology startup, leading with impact to establish a culture of excellence. Work with a diverse, global team to bring a world-first technology to market, with opportunities to grow into a leadership role in an inclusive, innovative culture.

Senior Quality Engineer – Job Description (Long version)

Position Overview:

As the first person in our quality function, you will be the cornerstone of our quality strategy, leading the development of quality processes as we transition from R&D to mass production. You will define quality standards for engineering, supply chain, and production, own quality management for pilot and full-scale manufacturing, and prepare the company for ISO 9001 certification. This role requires strong leadership to introduce and champion a culture of quality in a dynamic tech startup environment, with significant growth potential to build and lead a quality team of approximately five members within three years.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and implement quality management systems to support engineering, testing, R&D, supply chain, and production, ensuring alignment with stringent technical requirements and quality standards.
• Lead the company’s preparation for ISO 9001 certification, establishing robust processes and documentation to achieve compliance.
• Define and enforce quality requirements for engineering, testing, and supply chain teams, fostering consistency from design to production.
• Own quality assurance and control for pilot production and future full-scale manufacturing.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate quality into all stages of product development and production scale-up.
• Utilize quality tools and methodologies (e.g., Six Sigma, Lean, FMEA, SPC) to drive continuous improvement and support technical teams.
• Champion a culture of quality by leading with influence, fostering buy-in across teams, and embedding quality as a core value in a fast-paced tech startup environment.
• Lay the foundation for a growing quality team, with potential to transition into a managerial role as the team expands.

Qualifications (Hard Skills):

• Proven experience scaling quality processes from initial stages through significant company growth (e.g., from startup to established operations), ideally with complex products (industry flexible).
• Expertise in ISO 9001 standards and experience preparing a company for certification.
• Strong knowledge of quality requirements for engineering design, testing, and supply chain processes.
• Familiarity with quality tools and methodologies (e.g., Six Sigma, Lean, FMEA, SPC).
• Experience with sophisticated products requiring high precision and tight tolerances is preferred (industry experience flexible).

Qualifications (Soft Skills):

• Exceptional leadership skills, with the ability to introduce and champion a culture of quality, inspiring cross-functional teams in a high-growth startup environment.
• Adaptable and hands-on, with a proactive approach to tackling both strategic and practical tasks as the first quality hire in a fast-paced setting.
• Alignment with our values of innovation, humility, and collaboration, contributing to a dynamic, inclusive culture (inspired by values-driven hiring principles).
• Proven success working in diverse, international teams, with excellent English proficiency for clear communication.
• Growth-oriented, with the resilience and vision to build a quality function from the ground up and evolve into a managerial role as the team scales.

Why Join Us?

Be the first to shape our quality portfolio at a groundbreaking technology startup, leading with impact to establish a culture of excellence while bringing a world-first technology to market. Work with a diverse, international team in a collaborative, innovative environment, with the opportunity to grow into a leadership role. If you are passionate about quality, thrive in dynamic challenges, and align with our vision, we would love to hear from you.

Talking points with the recruiter

• Role’s strategic importance: The Senior Quality Engineer, as the first person in our quality function, will lead the development and scaling of quality processes as we grow from a startup to mass production. We seek a candidate with experience scaling quality processes from initial stages through company growth (e.g., from startup to established operations), ideally with complex products, and expertise in preparing for ISO 9001 certification to ensure our sophisticated product meets stringent standards.
• Leadership in building a quality culture: We need an individual who can champion a culture of quality in our dynamic environment, inspiring buy-in across engineering, testing, R&D, and supply chain teams. The candidate should bring in influential leadership to establish quality as a core value, with the vision to grow into a managerial role leading a team of approximately five within three years.
• Hands-on and adaptable approach: To thrive in our fast-paced environment, the candidate must balance strategic thinking with a hands-on approach, proactively tackling both high-level and practical tasks.
• Cultural and values fit: The candidate must have proven success in diverse, global settings with English proficiency, aligning with our commitment to values-driven hiring and contributing to an inclusive, innovative culture.
• Preference for startup agility: While senior expertise is essential, we should prioritize candidates with startup or high-growth experience over those accustomed to rigid corporate environments. The ideal candidate will combine proven quality experience with the flexibility to navigate the unique challenges of a tech startup.
• Recruiter guidance: Please prioritize candidates with a track record of building quality functions in early-stage or scaling companies. Assess technical expertise, leadership, and cultural fit through behavioral questions focused on adaptability, collaboration, and fostering quality in diverse teams. We are open to candidates from adjacent industries if they demonstrate the ability to scale quality processes and align with our values.