Quality Control Manager

Aether; South San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 125,000 - 175,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Job summary

Aether is seeking its first dedicated Quality Control Manager to build systems, standards, and discipline for polymer manufacturing at commercial scale. You will own QC across materials, external manufacturing, in-process inspection, and lot release, working closely with Development, Process Engineering, Sourcing, and Manufacturing onsite during major campaigns.

You will initially be hands-on and travel ~25% in the first years.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of quality control, manufacturing quality, supplier quality, or related experience in polymer, chemical, or advanced-materials manufacturing.

Responsibilities

• Build and implement a practical, scalable quality control system for incoming materials, in-process production, and finished products.
• Establish core quality processes, including document control, deviations, nonconforming materials, supplier qualification, traceability, and lot release.
• Evaluate and implement an electronic quality management system
• Partner with Materials Development to translate product specifications into control plans, inspection criteria, sampling plans, test methods, and work instructions
• Define and maintain critical-to-quality attributes for Aether’s commercial polymeric products
• Review production and characterization data and serve as the final quality authority for lot disposition
• Provide hands-on quality oversight during major contract-manufacturing campaigns
• Identify emerging risks and intervene before they jeopardize a production run
• Qualify raw-material suppliers and contract manufacturing partners
• Establish quality requirements, quality agreements, audit processes, and corrective-action expectations with external partners
• Support product development teams in identifying manufacturability and quality risks before commercial scale-up
• Train internal teams and external partners on quality requirements, inspection methods, documentation, and escalation procedures
• Help shape Aether’s long-term quality organization as the company scales

Skills

Quality control

CMO experience

Root cause analysis

Documentation

Decision making

Traceability

Education

Technical degree in materials science/engineering

Tools

QMS software

Statistical process control tools

Job description

About The Role

Aether is hiring its first dedicated Quality Control Manager to build the systems, standards, and operating discipline required to manufacture consistent, customer-ready polymeric products at commercial scale.

You will own quality control across incoming raw materials, external manufacturing, in-process inspection, finished-product qualification, traceability, and lot release. You will work closely with Product Development, Process Engineering, and Sourcing/Logistics, and Manufacturing to translate product specifications into practical controls that can be executed reliably at our contract manufacturing partners. This will initially be a highly hands-on individual contributor role. You will spend meaningful time onsite during major production campaigns, personally verifying that materials, processes, measurements, and finished products meet Aether’s requirements. Over time, you will build the systems and partner capabilities that allow us to operate with greater confidence and less direct oversight. You will report directly to our Senior Director, Manufacturing & Operations.

What You’ll Own

• Build and implement a practical, scalable quality control system for incoming materials, in-process production, and finished products
• Establish core quality processes, including document control, deviations, nonconforming materials, supplier qualification, traceability, and lot release
• Evaluate and implement an electronic quality management system
• Partner with Materials Development to translate product specifications into control plans, inspection criteria, sampling plans, test methods, and work instructions
• Define and maintain critical-to-quality attributes for Aether’s commercial polymeric products
• Review production and characterization data and serve as the final quality authority for lot disposition
• Provide hands‑on quality oversight during major contract‑manufacturing campaigns
• Identify emerging risks and intervene before they jeopardize a production run
• Qualify raw‑material suppliers and contract manufacturing partners
• Establish quality requirements, quality agreements, audit processes, and corrective‑action expectations with external partners
• Support product development teams in identifying manufacturability and quality risks before commercial scale‑up
• Train internal teams and external partners on quality requirements, inspection methods, documentation, and escalation procedures
• Help shape Aether’s long‑term quality organization as the company scales

What We’re Looking For

• 10+ years of quality control, manufacturing quality, supplier quality, or related experience in polymer, chemical, or advanced‑materials manufacturing
• Experience building or substantially standing up a quality control system in at least one organization; experience doing so in multiple environments is strongly preferred
• Experience translating technical specifications into production‑ready inspection criteria and release requirements
• Experience supporting manufacturing through CMOs, tolling partners, suppliers, or other external production environments
• Demonstrated ability to investigate material and process failures, identify root causes, and drive corrective actions
• Strong judgment and the confidence to stop a production run, reject material, or withhold lot release when requirements are not met
• A track record of building practical systems in environments where processes and infrastructure are still developing
• Exceptional attention to detail and strong written communication
• Willingness to travel approximately 25%+ during the first one to two years, primarily in concentrated production campaigns

Nice to Have

• Strong familiarity with polymer manufacturing, including extrusion, compounding, material characterization, and process control
• Direct experience with filament, additive manufacturing materials, or polymer extrusion products
• Experience implementing an electronic QMS
• Experience preparing an organization for ISO 9001 certification
• Experience with supplier audits, quality agreements, statistical process control, or process capability
• Experience with shelf‑life, accelerated‑aging, packaging, or environmental‑exposure studies
• ASQ or other relevant quality certification
• Experience in an early‑stage or rapidly scaling manufacturing environment
• A technical degree in materials science, polymer science, chemistry, engineering, or a related field; equivalent practical experience is equally valued

What Success Looks Like

In your first 90 days, you will assess Aether’s current quality gaps, establish plans for upcoming CMO campaigns, begin defining critical‑to‑quality requirements, and create a roadmap for documentation and QMS implementation.

Within your first year, you will have established core quality processes, improved traceability and lot‑release discipline, implemented repeatable controls for commercial production, and strengthened the consistency and quality performance of Aether’s suppliers and manufacturing partners.

About You

You are a builder, not a caretaker. You know what strong quality systems look like, but you also know how to create the right version for a growing company without introducing unnecessary bureaucracy. You are equally comfortable on a manufacturing floor, reviewing data, writing procedures, challenging assumptions, and making difficult release decisions. You care about the small details because you understand how quickly they can become expensive production failures or customer issues. At the same time, you can see the larger system and build processes that prevent the same problem from happening twice.

Note

The pay range for this role is $125,000 to $175,000 per year plus equity, with final compensation based on skills and experience.

Aether is committed to building an inclusive and diverse workplace. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and do not discriminate on the basis of age, disability, gender identity or expression, marital or civil‑partner status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation. All employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit, and business needs.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for candidates throughout the recruitment process. If you require any adjustments to participate fully in interviews or assessments, please let us know and we will work with you to support your needs.