Head of Quality

Joby Aviation; California; On-site; USD 230,000 - 330,000; Full time

Job summary

Joby Aviation, based in California, seeks a Head of Quality to lead enterprise-wide quality as we scale from NPI to rate manufacturing. You will own FAA Production Certification, oversee QC/QE/QA, metrology, and supplier quality across all plants, ensuring safety and airworthiness for flight-ready eVTOLs.

Ideal candidates have 15+ years in aerospace quality leadership, 7+ years in executive roles, and deep AS9100/ISO 9001 expertise, with hands-on FAA PC experience and a Six Sigma background.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of progressive quality leadership experience in aerospace, defense, or commercial aviation manufacturing.
• 7+ years in executive management (Director/VP/Head) supervising cross-functional QA, QE, QC, and Metrology teams.
• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related technical field.
• Direct hands-on experience securing or managing an FAA Production Certificate (PC) and executing FAA conformity inspections under 14 CFR Part 21.
• Deep working knowledge of AS9100 / ISO 9001 quality management systems, AS9102 FAI requirements, and advanced metrology tools.

Responsibilities

• FAA Production Certification & Regulatory Oversight: Own FAA PC ownership and collaborate for conformity inspections and regulatory communications across facilities.
• Functional Quality Leadership: Oversee QA governance, document control, internal audits, and regulatory reporting; lead QC, QE, and Metrology functions.

Skills

Quality leadership

Aerospace manufacturing

FAA PC experience

AS9100 / ISO 9001

Six Sigma Black Belt

Quality governance

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace/Mechanical/Electrical Engineering or related field

Job description

Imagine a piloted air taxi that takes off vertically, then quietly carries you and your fellow passengers over the congested city streets below, enabling you to spend more time with the people and places that matter most. At Joby, we've been working to make that dream a reality since 2009 and we're now in the final stages of certifying our aircraft with the FAA. With plans to launch our aircraft in the US and Dubai, we're now scaling manufacturing and preparing for the launch of our commercial service.

Overview

Joby Aviation is seeking a Head of Quality to lead our enterprise-wide quality organization as we scale from New Product Introduction (NPI) to rate manufacturing. This critical role holds end-to-end accountability for Quality Control (QC), Quality Engineering (QE), Quality Assurance (QA), Metrology Engineering, and Supplier Quality across all internal plants and manufacturing disciplines.

Serving as an independent functional check-and-balance to manufacturing, the Head of Quality holds primary responsibility for securing and maintaining Joby’s FAA Production Approval and Production Certificate (PC). This position leads the quality systems, inspection frameworks, and regulatory compliance required to produce flight-ready eVTOL aircraft across all manufacturing areas. This includes Powertrain & Electronics, Composites, Airframe Assembly, Paint, Final Integration, Additive Manufacturing, Blades, and Wire Harnesses.

Responsibilities

FAA Production Certification & Regulatory Oversight

• FAA Production Approval & PC Ownership: Serve as the primary operational authority for securing, maintaining, and expanding Joby’s FAA Production Certificate (PC) and manufacturing approvals under 14 CFR Part 21
• FAA Conformity & Audits: Collaborate with DARs for all FAA manufacturing conformity inspections, system audits, and regulatory communications across all manufacturing facilities
• Independent Governance: Maintain an uncompromised quality boundary to ensure safety, compliance, and airworthiness standards are strictly enforced independent of schedule pressures

Functional Quality Leadership (QC, QE, QA, Metrology)

• Quality Assurance (QA): Oversee AS9100 Quality Management System (QMS) governance, document control, internal audit programs, and regulatory compliance reporting
• Quality Engineering (QE): Lead manufacturing quality planning, First Article Inspections (FAI / AS9102), design-for-quality reviews, and Engineering Change Requests (ECR) effectivity validation
• Quality Control (QC): Manage receiving, in-process, and final inspection operations across all plant floors, cleanrooms, and flight integration bays
• Metrology Engineering: Direct precision measurement strategies, calibration systems, coordinate measuring machines (CMM), 3D scanning, and non-destructive testing (NDT) across all hardware domains

Problem Solving

• Root Cause & Corrective Action (RCCA): Drive rigorous 8D, CAPA, and Material Review Board (MRB) processes to eliminate scrap, rework, and non-conformances at the root cause
• Metrics & Analytics: Establish real-time quality dashboards in VERT / VERNIE tracking Scrap, Rework, First-Pass Yield (FPY), and Escapes across every production line

Required

• 15+ years of progressive quality leadership experience in aerospace, defense, or commercial aviation manufacturing, including 7+ years in executive management (Director/VP/Head) supervising cross-functional QA, QE, QC, and Metrology teams
• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related technical field
• Direct, hands-on experience securing or managing an FAA Production Certificate (PC) and executing FAA conformity inspections under 14 CFR Part 21
• Demonstrated expertise in quality oversight across composite structures, complex electronics, high-voltage powertrains, wire harnesses, additive manufacturing, and aircraft final assembly
• Deep working knowledge of AS9100 / ISO 9001 quality management systems, AS9102 FAI requirements, and advanced metrology tools

Desired

• Master’s degree in Engineering Management or Business Administration
• Six Sigma Black Belt / Lean Manufacturing certification
• Direct experience managing quality transitions from low-volume prototype builds to high-rate aerospace manufacturing

Additional Information

Compensation at Joby is a combination of base pay and Restricted Stock Units (RSUs). The target base pay for this position is $230,000 - $330,000. The compensation package will be determined by job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.

Joby also offers a comprehensive benefits package, including paid time off, healthcare benefits, a 401(k) plan with a company match, an employee stock purchase plan (ESPP), short-term and long-term disability coverage, life insurance, and more.

Joby is an Equal Opportunity Employer