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Exowatt is seeking a Quality Engineer to own incoming inspection, in-process, and final quality for assigned commodities, sub-assemblies, and finished products in a hardware manufacturing environment.
You will partner with the supply chain team to qualify new suppliers through on-site audits, first-article inspections (FAI), PPAP-style submissions, and process capability reviews. You'll develop inspection plans, control plans, and acceptance criteria for purchased parts and in-house manufactured components. You will lead root-cause investigations using methodologies like 8D, 5-Why, and Ishikawa analysis on supplier defects and internal manufacturing non-conformances, driving corrective and preventive actions (CAPA) to closure. You'll manage the non-conformance (NCR) and supplier corrective action request (SCAR) processes end-to-end.
You'll partner with design engineering on DFM/DFA reviews and help translate design intent into manufacturable, inspectable specifications using GD&T and critical-to-quality features. You'll track and report quality metrics—PPM, first-pass yield, cost of poor quality, supplier scorecards—and use them to drive improvement. You'll support new product introduction (NPI) from prototype through production ramp, including process validation and pilot builds.
You'll build and maintain quality documentation including inspection procedures, work instructions, quality records, and calibration programs. You'll help stand up and evolve Exowatt's quality management system (QMS) at an early stage where you'll shape it, not just operate inside it. You'll partner closely with the Reliability Engineering team to feed manufacturing and supplier quality data into failure analysis and design improvements.
REQUIREMENTS:
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Manufacturing, Industrial, Aerospace, or related engineering field
- 5+ years of quality engineering experience in hardware manufacturing
- Hands-on experience with supplier quality (audits, FAI, PPAP, SCARs, supplier development)
- Working knowledge of root-cause methodologies (8D, 5-Why, fishbone) and statistical tools (SPC, Cpk, MSA, DOE basics)
- Fluency with GD&T and ability to read and interpret mechanical drawings
- Experience with metrology and inspection tools (CMM, calipers, micrometers, optical comparators, etc.)
- Deep experience with ISO 9001 and fundamentals of building or operating a QMS
- Clear technical writing and ability to communicate findings to suppliers, engineers, and leadership
- Willingness to travel to supplier facilities domestically and occasionally internationally
PREFERRED:
- Experience in energy, aerospace, automotive, industrial equipment, or other regulated/high-reliability hardware industries
- Exposure to welded or brazed assemblies, pressure vessels, high-temperature materials, thermal storage systems, or rotating machinery
- ASQ certification (CQE, CQA, or CSSBB)
- Experience standing up a QMS at an early-stage company or advancing toward AS9100, ISO 14001, or similar
- Six Sigma Green or Black Belt
- Experience with ERP/MES/QMS platforms (NetSuite, Arena, Propel, or similar)
- Experience building a quality function from scratch at an early-stage hardware company
