Quality Systems Lead - Polymer Manufacturing

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

Job summary

Aether seeks a Quality Control Manager to build scalable quality systems for incoming materials, in-process production, and finished products. You will define quality criteria, establish controls, and partner with development teams to translate specifications into actionable inspection plans.

Initial hands-on role with onsite focus during campaigns, progressing to a broader quality organization. You will collaborate with manufacturing partners and CMOs, drive lot release decisions, and ensure

Qualifications

• 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

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

Job description

Aether seeks a Quality Control Manager to build scalable quality systems for incoming materials, in-process production, and finished products. You will define quality criteria, establish controls, and partner with development teams to translate specifications into actionable inspection plans.

Initial hands-on role with onsite focus during campaigns, progressing to a broader quality organization. You will collaborate with manufacturing partners and CMOs, drive lot release decisions, and ensure