Quality Engineer – Robotics

Job Description:
Location: Folsom, CA | Travel to Fremont, CA
Travel: Up to 25%, including visits to Fremont and other manufacturing or supplier locations as required.
Employment Type: Full-Time
About the Role
We are seeking a Quality Engineer – Robotics to support quality management and continuous improvement across Nextpower's robotic and electromechanical products. This role will focus on establishing and maintaining quality standards, managing supplier quality, resolving product and manufacturing quality issues, and ensuring consistent product performance throughout the product lifecycle.
The ideal candidate brings a strong background in quality engineering within robotics, mechanical systems, automation, or complex manufacturing environments. This individual will work closely with engineering, manufacturing, suppliers, and cross-functional teams to drive quality improvements, strengthen processes, and ensure products meet established quality and customer requirements.
Key Responsibilities
Quality Management & Process Improvement
Develop, implement, and maintain quality standards, inspection processes, and control plans for robotic and electromechanical products.
Monitor product and manufacturing quality performance, identify trends, and implement corrective actions to improve overall quality.
Lead quality investigations, root cause analysis, and corrective and preventive action (CAPA) activities using structured problem-solving methodologies such as 8D, 5-Why, and DMAIC.
Establish and track key quality metrics, including defect rates, first-pass yield, supplier performance, and corrective action effectiveness.
Support quality management systems (QMS), internal audits, process documentation, and compliance with applicable industry standards.
Partner with manufacturing and engineering teams to drive continuous improvement and reduce recurring quality issues.
Supplier Quality Management
Work closely with suppliers and manufacturing partners to ensure components and assemblies meet established quality requirements.
Conduct supplier quality assessments, process audits, and performance reviews to identify improvement opportunities.
Manage supplier-related quality issues, including nonconforming materials, defect investigations, and corrective action plans.
Develop and maintain supplier quality scorecards to monitor performance, identify risks, and drive accountability.
Collaborate with suppliers to improve process capability, inspection methods, and overall manufacturing quality.
Support supplier qualification and quality readiness for new and existing products.
Product Quality & Manufacturing Support
Ensure robotic systems, mechanical assemblies, and integrated components meet product specifications and quality standards.
Partner with design, manufacturing, and test engineering teams to identify quality risks and implement preventive controls.
Support product inspections, functional testing, and manufacturing process validation to ensure consistent product quality.
Participate in new product introduction (NPI) activities, including quality planning, DFMEA/PFMEA, and manufacturing readiness assessments.
Investigate product failures, field returns, and customer quality concerns, coordinating root cause analysis and corrective actions.
Support product reliability and validation activities as needed, working with engineering teams to address quality concerns.
Drive improvements in manufacturing processes, assembly quality, and product consistency.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Serve as a key quality partner to engineering, manufacturing, operations, and supplier teams.
Communicate quality performance, risks, and corrective action progress to internal stakeholders.
Translate manufacturing and field quality feedback into actionable improvement initiatives.
Support the implementation of standardized quality practices across products and manufacturing partners.
Promote a culture of quality ownership, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Qualifications
Education & Experience
Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Mechanical, or Robotics Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
3–7 years of experience in quality engineering, supplier quality, manufacturing quality, or product quality management.
Experience supporting robotics, automation, electromechanical systems, industrial equipment, or complex manufactured products.
Hands-on experience with quality management processes, supplier quality, root cause analysis, and corrective action management.
Working knowledge of quality management systems and standards such as ISO 9001, IATF 16949, or ISO 13485.
Experience developing and implementing quality control plans, inspection procedures, and process improvement initiatives.
Familiarity with statistical process control (SPC), process capability analysis (Cp/Cpk), and quality data analysis.
Knowledge of GD&T, AQL inspection methods, and structured problem-solving techniques.
Experience working with contract manufacturers, suppliers, and cross-functional engineering teams.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience in robotics, industrial automation, motion control, or mechanical assembly manufacturing.
Experience conducting supplier audits and managing supplier corrective action requests (SCARs).
Familiarity with NPI quality planning, FMEA, and manufacturing process validation.
Experience with Minitab or similar quality analysis tools.
Experience supporting field quality investigations, product returns, and manufacturing improvement programs.
Interpersonal Skills
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a practical, hands-on approach to quality improvement.
Ability to collaborate effectively with engineering, manufacturing, suppliers, and operations teams.
Strong communication skills with the ability to clearly explain quality concerns and drive corrective actions.
Detail-oriented with a commitment to product quality, process consistency, and continuous improvement.
Comfortable working in manufacturing, laboratory, and supplier environments.
Ability to manage multiple quality initiatives and priorities in a fast-paced environment.
Additional Requirements
Location: Based in Folsom, California, with travel to the Fremont office as needed.