Head of Quality - Hardware & Autonomous Systems

ATOMS Careers page; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 170,000 - 220,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k)

Health Savings Account (HSA)

Discretionary vacation days

8 paid holidays per year

Job summary

Atoms is scaling its autonomous vehicle program and building a dedicated quality function to own end-to-end release decisions. You will lead quality across hardware assembly, define metrics, and drive defect reduction, including oversight of third-party upfitters.

The role requires extensive experience in security‑critical hardware settings and hands‑on governance over supplier quality. You will shape the quality organization as volumes grow, build the documentation backbone (PFMEA, control

Qualifications

• 10+ years of quality leadership in complex hardware contexts (automotive/AV/robotics).
• Experience scaling quality systems from low-volume builds to serial production.
• Hands-on IPC/PPAP knowledge and supplier quality management.

Responsibilities

• Own release gates and quality systems across the full build: boards, box assembly, vehicle upfitting.
• Define the quality metric set and drive systematic defect reduction.
• Hold final QA authority over all production, including any third‑party upfitter or CM; no unit releases without your gate.
• Build root‑cause discipline: 8D, CAPA, structured failure analysis feeding back into design and process.
• Set workmanship and inspection standards and audit suppliers against them.
• Stand up the quality documentation backbone: control plans, PFMEA, incoming inspection, traceability.
• Hire and lead the quality team as volumes scale.

Skills

Quality leadership

Scaling experience

OEM/Tier 1 exposure

IPC/PPAP knowledge

Release decision authority

Job description

Atoms is scaling its autonomous vehicle program and building a dedicated quality function to own end-to-end release decisions. You will lead quality across hardware assembly, define metrics, and drive defect reduction, including oversight of third-party upfitters.

The role requires extensive experience in security‑critical hardware settings and hands‑on governance over supplier quality. You will shape the quality organization as volumes grow, build the documentation backbone (PFMEA, control