Head of Quality

Xwing; San Carlos (CA); On-site; USD 230,000 - 330,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

RSUs

Healthcare benefits

401(k) with company match

ESPP

Job summary

Joby Aviation seeks a Head of Quality to lead the enterprise-wide quality organization as we scale from NPI to rate manufacturing. You will own QC, QE, QA, Metrology, and Supplier Quality across all plants, ensuring safety and airworthiness.

This role holds FAA Production Approval responsibilities and drives quality governance, inspections, and compliance. A deep background in aerospace quality systems and metrology is required.

Qualifications

• 15+ years leading quality teams in aerospace, defense, or aviation manufacturing.
• 7+ years in executive management supervising QA, QE, QC, and Metrology teams.
• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical Engineering, or related field.
• Direct experience securing or managing FAA Production Certificate (PC) and FAA conformity inspections under 14 CFR Part 21.
• Deep knowledge of AS9100 / ISO 9001, AS9102 FAI requirements, and advanced metrology tools.

Responsibilities

• Oversee FAA Production Certification & regulatory oversight.
• Lead QC, QE, QA, and Metrology functions across facilities.
• Manage quality systems, inspections, and regulatory reporting.
• Drive RCCA, CAPA, and MRB processes to reduce scrap and non-conformances.
• Establish real-time quality dashboards and metrics across production lines.

Skills

Quality leadership

Aerospace manufacturing

Executive management

Regulatory compliance

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace/Mechanical/Electrical Engineering

Tools

AS9100 / ISO 9001

FAI (AS9102)

CMM / 3D scanning

Job description

Head of Quality

Job Locations: US-CA-Marina | US-CA-San Carlos

ID: 2026-5441

Category: Quality Assurance

Type: Regular Full-Time

Company Overview

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