Head of Quality

Path Robotics, Inc.; Columbus (OH); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Daily free lunch

Flexible PTO

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

Parental leave (6 weeks + 6-8 weeks)

401(k) retirement plan through Empower

Employee referral bonuses

Job summary

Path Robotics, Inc. is seeking a founding quality leader to build and scale its QA function from the ground up.

You’ll establish proactive quality assurance, drive stage-gate controls across design, manufacturing, installation, and support, and reduce inspection burden on FAT and the field. You will lead root-cause analysis and process improvement efforts, partnering with Hardware Engineering and Fleet Operations, while communicating effectively with executives and stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Lean Six Sigma and quality methodologies are essential.
• Hands-on experience building a QA function from scratch.
• Experience with APQP/PPAP and stage-gate processes.
• Ability to drive root-cause analysis and implement process improvements.

Responsibilities

• Build Path's quality function from the ground up, defining strategy, standards, and controls across design, supply chain, build, installation and support.
• Close the design-to-field feedback loop with Hardware Engineering and Fleet Operations.
• Standardize workflows across the value stream and implement new processes for consistency and efficiency.
• Instrument quality with data and define metrics for real-time visibility of quality performance.
• Stand up the function as a team of one and scale to a larger team within 6–12 months.

Skills

Lean Six Sigma

Root-cause analysis

APQP/PPAP

Stage-gate quality

Quality leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Executive-level communication

Process improvement

Job description

At Path Robotics, we're building the future of embodied intelligence. Our AI-driven systems enable robots to adapt, learn, and perform in the real world closing the skilled labor gap and transforming industries. We go beyond traditional methods, combining perception, reasoning, and control to deliver field-ready AI that is risk-aware, reliable, and continuously improving through real-world use.

Big, hard problems are our everyday work, and our team of intelligent, humble, and driven people make the impossible possible together.

This is a founding quality leadership role. You will build Path's quality function from the ground up, standing up a proactive quality assurance system that makes our autonomous welding cells predictable to build, deploy, and run, and that pulls down the inspection burden currently landing on FAT and the field.

What You'll Do

• Build Path's quality function from the ground up - the strategy, standards, and stage-gate controls spanning system design, supply chain, build, installation and support.
• Close the design-to-field feedback loop with Hardware Engineering and our Fleet Operations team.
• Standardize workflows across the entire value stream and implement new processes to ensure consistency and efficiency.
• Instrument quality with data. Define and rollout quality metrics providing the Operations organization a real-time read on where quality is made and lost.
• Stand-up the function to start as a team of one and build out a team 6-12 months into the role depending on needs and progress.

Who You Are

• 7-10+ years of manufacturing experience required
• 3+ years of OEM or Tier 1 automotive quality experience preferred
• Deep, firsthand understanding of new production development and ramp. You know what it takes to scale from first builds to volume without quality breaking down.
• A hands-on builder who has stood up a QA function, not just administered a mature one.
• You are as comfortable on the floor as in the leadership meeting.
• Fluent in root-cause analysis and process improvement (Lean Six Sigma, PFEMA, APQP/PPAP, stage-gate quality). You fix causes, not symptoms.
• Able to communicate technical concepts to non-technical audiences and negotiate with internal and external stakeholders at the executive level.
• Willing to travel up to 25% as necessary to visit customer and supplier sites
• ISO 9001 experience a plus, not required

Why You'll Love Working Here

• Daily free lunch to keep you fueled and connected with the team
• Flexible PTO so you can take the time you need, when you need it
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
• 6 weeks fully paid parental leave, plus an additional 6-8 weeks for birthing parents (12-14 weeks total)
• 401(k) retirement plan through Empower
• Generous employee referral bonuses—help us grow our team!

Who We Are

At Path Robotics we love coming to work to solve interesting and tough challenges but also because our ideas are welcomed and valued. We encourage unique thinking and are dedicated to creating a diverse and inclusive environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.

If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate in the application process or any part of the hiring process, please contact [e-mail]. We are committed to providing equal access and will work with qualified individuals to ensure a fair and accessible hiring experience. We will respond to your request within 48 hours.

As set forth in Path Robotics's Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.