Quality Engineer

Fab2; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Paid time off

Visa sponsorship

Life insurance

Parental leave

401(k)

Learning opportunities

Commuter benefits

Office lunches

Job summary

fab2, an early-stage hardware startup in Austin, TX, is seeking a diligent Quality Engineer to ensure every component, tool, and fab works as designed. You will collaborate with designers, machinists, and suppliers to find defects, determine root causes, and prevent recurrence as we build chambers, gas lines, and lithography tools in-house.

Responsibilities include developing inspection plans, leading root-cause investigations, and establishing quality gates.

Qualifications

• 3+ years in manufacturing quality, supplier quality, manufacturing engineering, or test engineering for complex hardware.
• Experience developing inspection plans and acceptance criteria from drawings, specifications, and CAD models.
• Track record investigating manufacturing defects and implementing effective corrective actions.
• Hands-on experience inspecting mechanical and electromechanical components using standard measurement equipment.
• Experience with first-article inspection, nonconforming material, root-cause analysis, and corrective-action systems.
• Ability to work directly with engineers, technicians, machinists, and suppliers to resolve problems.

Responsibilities

• Develop inspection and acceptance criteria for components, tools, and complete fabs.
• Create incoming, first-article, in-process, and final inspection plans from drawings, specifications, CAD models, and BOMs.
• Inspect and qualify high-risk machined parts, PCBAs, vacuum components, assemblies, and production processes.
• Establish quality gates that prevent defects from moving into kits and builds.
• Lead root-cause investigations for build defects, test failures, leaks, rework, and supplier issues.
• Develop corrective actions and verify that they permanently resolve the problem.
• Establish processes for nonconforming material, quarantine, rework, use-as-is, and scrap.
• Improve assembly processes, fixtures, work instructions, and test methods based on defects found during builds.
• Help improve manufacturability, inspection access, tolerances, and acceptance requirements.
• Work directly with suppliers to resolve recurring component defects.
• Select, qualify, and maintain inspection, measurement, and calibration equipment.
• Build quality, inspection, traceability, and nonconformance workflows in our ERP/MES.
• Track first-pass yield, defects, rework, escapes, supplier quality, and corrective-action effectiveness.
• Train technicians and machinists to inspect their own work and record defects at the source.
• Support bring-up, acceptance, and release of tools and fabs.

Skills

Quality engineering

Inspection planning

Root-cause analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Problem solving

Tools

CMMs

Optical inspection

Electrical test

Automated inspection

ERP/MES

Job description

About fab2

The fab2 team can build anything. We design all the hardware and software needed to make chips and we make the fabs, tools, and components ourselves.

We're looking for exceptional, hands-on people who can iterate to the limits of what's possible.

fab2 was founded by Sam Zeloof and Jim Keller. Sam is best known for making chips in his garage, and Jim has been a leader in the semiconductor industry for the past 40 years.

About the Team

The fab2 production team manufactures chip fabs. From deposition and etching tools to lithography and metrology, we are building every tool ourselves. We fabricate the metal parts, operate SMT lines to build PCBAs, and assemble the tools in-house.

About the Role

At fab2 we design and build everything ourselves, from chambers, gas lines, and valves to etch, deposition, and lithography tools to complete fabs. As a Quality Engineer, you will build the systems that ensure every component, tool, and fab works as designed. You will work directly with the people designing and building our hardware to find defects, determine their root causes, and prevent them from recurring.

Responsibilities

• Develop inspection and acceptance criteria for components, tools, and complete fabs.
• Create incoming, first-article, in-process, and final inspection plans from drawings, specifications, CAD models, and BOMs.
• Inspect and qualify high-risk machined parts, PCBAs, vacuum components, assemblies, and production processes.
• Establish quality gates that prevent defects from moving into kits and builds.
• Lead root-cause investigations for build defects, test failures, leaks, rework, and supplier issues.
• Develop corrective actions and verify that they permanently resolve the problem.
• Establish processes for nonconforming material, quarantine, rework, use-as-is, and scrap.
• Improve assembly processes, fixtures, work instructions, and test methods based on defects found during builds.
• Help improve manufacturability, inspection access, tolerances, and acceptance requirements.
• Work directly with suppliers to resolve recurring component defects.
• Select, qualify, and maintain inspection, measurement, and calibration equipment.
• Build quality, inspection, traceability, and nonconformance workflows in our ERP/MES.
• Track first-pass yield, defects, rework, escapes, supplier quality, and corrective-action effectiveness.
• Train technicians and machinists to inspect their own work and record defects at the source.
• Support bring-up, acceptance, and release of tools and fabs.

Required Experience

• 3+ years in manufacturing quality, supplier quality, manufacturing engineering, or test engineering for complex hardware.
• Experience developing inspection plans and acceptance criteria from drawings, specifications, and CAD models.
• Track record investigating manufacturing defects and implementing effective corrective actions.
• Hands-on experience inspecting mechanical and electromechanical components using standard measurement equipment.
• Experience with first-article inspection, nonconforming material, root-cause analysis, and corrective-action systems.
• Ability to work directly with engineers, technicians, machinists, and suppliers to resolve problems.

Nice-to-have

• Experience with semiconductor equipment, aerospace, robotics, automotive, medical devices, or complex electromechanical systems.
• Familiarity with vacuum systems, leak testing, PCBAs, precision motion systems, or cleanroom assembly.
• Experience with CMMs, optical inspection, surface measurement, electrical test, or automated inspection systems.
• Familiarity with ERP/MES or QMS systems.
• Experience developing a quality system in a prototype or rapidly scaling production environment.

Working at fab2

We're an early-stage hardware startup with solid funding, world-class advisors, and a lab/office in Austin, TX.

Benefits:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance
• Generous Paid Time Off inclusive of Holidays and Sick Time
• Visa Sponsorship
• Life and Disability Insurance
• Paid Parental Leave
• 401(k) retirement plan
• Weekly Learning & Development opportunities
• Commuter Benefits including Parking and Late Night Uber rides from the office
• Lunches daily, Dinners 3x per week, Stocked Office Kitchen with Snacks and Spindrifts

We are an equal-opportunity employer and do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability or other legally protected statuses.

Export Control Analysis:

This position involves access to technology that is subject to U.S. export controls. Any job offer made will be contingent upon the applicant’s capacity to serve in compliance with U.S. export controls.