Quality Engineer

NextGenEnergyJobs; Austin, Northern (TX, KY); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Exowatt in Austin is seeking a Senior Quality Engineer to own supplier quality and internal QA across incoming, in-process, and final inspection stages. You will qualify suppliers through audits, FAI, and PPAP-style submissions, while leading root-cause investigations and driving CAPA closures.

You will develop inspection plans and control plans, translating design intent into manufacturable specs and maintaining QMS documentation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical/manufacturing/industrial/aerospace or related field.
• 5+ years quality engineering in a hardware manufacturing environment.
• Hands-on supplier quality experience: audits, FAI, PPAP, SCARs.
• Working knowledge of root-cause methodologies (8D, 5-Why, fishbone) and basic SPC/DOE.
• Fluency with GD&T and reading mechanical drawings.

Responsibilities

• Own incoming, in-process, and final inspection quality for assigned hardware.
• Partner with supply chain to qualify new suppliers — on-site audits, FAI, PPAP-style submissions, CAPA actions.
• Develop inspection plans, control plans, and acceptance criteria for parts.
• Lead 8D/5-Why/Ishikawa root-cause investigations and drive CAPA closures.
• Manage NCR and SCAR processes end-to-end.
• Collaborate with design engineering on DFM/DFA reviews and translate design intent into inspectable specs (GD&T).
• Track quality metrics (PPM, first-pass yield, cost of quality) and report them to drive improvement.
• Support NPI from prototype to production ramp, including process validation and pilot builds.
• Build and maintain quality documentation and calibrations programs.
• Help stand up and evolve Exowatt's QMS and collaborate with Reliability Engineering for failure analysis.

Skills

Supplier quality

Root-cause analysis

GD&T literacy

Statistical tools

Quality documentation

Six Sigma

Technical writing

Education

Bachelors in engineering

Tools

CMM

Calipers & micrometers

Optical comparators

NetSuite

Arena

Propel

Job description

Own incoming inspection, in-process, and final quality for assigned commodities, sub-assemblies, and finished product

Responsibilities

• Own incoming inspection, in-process, and final quality for assigned commodities, sub-assemblies, and finished product
• Partner with the supply chain team to qualify new suppliers — on-site audits, first-article inspections (FAI), PPAP-style submissions, and process capability reviews
• Develop inspection plans, control plans, and acceptance criteria for purchased parts and in-house manufactured components
• Lead root-cause investigations (8D, 5-Why, Ishikawa) on supplier defects and internal manufacturing non-conformances; drive corrective and preventive actions (CAPA) to closure
• Manage the non-conformance (NCR) and supplier corrective action request (SCAR) processes end-to-end
• Partner with design engineering on DFM/DFA reviews and help translate design intent into manufacturable, inspectable specifications (GD&T, critical-to-quality features)
• Track and report quality metrics — PPM, first-pass yield, cost of poor quality, supplier scorecards — and use them to drive improvement
• Support new product introduction (NPI) from prototype through production ramp, including process validation and pilot builds
• Build and maintain quality documentation: inspection procedures, work instructions, quality records, and calibration programs
• Help stand up and evolve Exowatt's quality management system (QMS) — we're early enough that you'll shape it, not just operate inside it
• Partner closely with the Reliability Engineering team to feed manufacturing and supplier quality data into failure analysis and design improvements

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Manufacturing, Industrial, Aerospace, or a related engineering field
• 5+ years of quality engineering experience in a hardware manufacturing environment
• Hands-on experience with supplier quality — audits, FAI, PPAP, SCARs, and supplier development
• Working knowledge of root-cause methodologies (8D, 5-Why, fishbone) and statistical tools (SPC, Cpk, MSA, DOE basics)
• Fluency with GD&T and the ability to read and interpret mechanical drawings
• Experience with metrology and inspection tools (CMM, calipers, micrometers, optical comparators, etc.)
• Deep experience with ISO 9001 and the fundamentals of building or operating a QMS
• Clear technical writing and the ability to communicate findings to suppliers, engineers, and leadership
• Willingness to travel to supplier facilities domestically and occasionally internationally
• Experience in energy, aerospace, automotive, industrial equipment, or other regulated/high-reliability hardware industries
• Exposure to welded or brazed assemblies, pressure vessels, high-temperature materials, thermal storage systems, or rotating machinery relevant to the P3 system
• ASQ certification (CQE, CQA, or CSSBB)
• Deep Experience standing up a QMS at an early-stage company, or taking one from ISO 9001 toward AS9100, ISO 14001, or similar
• Six Sigma Green or Black Belt
• Experience with ERP/MES/QMS platforms (NetSuite, Arena, Propel, or similar)
• Experience building a quality function from scratch at an early-stage hardware company