Robotics Quality Engineer

Robotics Quality Engineer

Location:

Fremont, CA - Onsite

We are seeking a Product Quality & Reliability Engineer, in Fremont, CA to serve as the technical quality lead for Nextpower's robotic and electronic systems. This role owns product-level quality from design through field performance, ensuring seamless integration of hardware, firmware, and electromechanical subsystems. Partnering cross-functionally with design, manufacturing, and suppliers, this individual will embed quality early in the product lifecycle, lead reliability validation and NPI activities, and drive data-driven improvements across PCBA, motion control, sensor, and embedded systems.

The ideal candidate combines strong electronics and mechatronics expertise with hands-on validation experience, supplier quality leadership, and a passion for building robust, high-performing products.

• Serve as the technical quality lead for robotic and electronic products—ensuring hardware, firmware, and electromechanical integration meet Nextracker standards.
• Partner with design, test, and manufacturing engineering to embed quality and reliability controls early in the product lifecycle.
• Define, implement, and validate product test and inspection requirements across PCBA, harness, motion control, and sensor subsystems.
• Support new product introduction (NPI) through DFMEA/PFMEA execution, control plan creation, and design verification test (DVT) oversight.
• Validate and qualify test systems and automated inspection tools for functional verification of complex assemblies.
• Drive product-level reliability testing (HALT, HASS, burn-in, and environmental stress screening) and feed results into design improvements.

• Evaluate and approve suppliers for electronic and robotic assemblies—PCBs, actuators, control boards, sensors, and embedded systems.
• Audit supplier facilities to confirm process capability, traceability, and quality control for critical components.
• Lead technical reviews on defect trends, early-life failure data, and product field returns (RMA/FA), driving corrective and preventive action.
• Implement statistical process control (SPC) and advanced data analytics (Cp, Cpk, Weibull, X̄-R) to monitor and improve part and system performance.
• Develop, implement, and maintain supplier quality scorecards with metrics that emphasize reliability and system performance consistency.

• Collaborate with hardware and software teams to validate design for manufacturability, serviceability, and long-term reliability.
• Translate customer and field feedback into actionable product improvement initiatives.
• Support failure investigations through structured root cause methodologies (8D, 5-Why, fault tree analysis) and ensure learnings are applied to future designs.
• Champion the "design for quality" mindset across the product organization—linking field performance data directly to design and supplier improvements.

• Bachelor's Degree required (prefer degree in Electrical, Electronics, or Robotics Engineering).
• Experience:
  
  3–7 years in product-level quality or reliability engineering for robotics, embedded electronics, or smart devices.
• Strong working knowledge of PCBA design and testing, motion control systems, sensors, and firmware integration.
• Experience in product validation, DVT/PVT processes, and environmental/reliability qualification testing.
• Skilled in Minitab or similar SPC tools, with the ability to interpret product data and drive measurable improvements.
• Knowledge of ISO 9001, IATF 16949, or ISO 13485, with hands-on experience in supplier or product audits.
• Proficient in GD&T, AQL inspection, and problem-solving frameworks such as DMAIC or DFSS.

Language:
Fluent in English

Travel:
Up to 50% domestic travel, international travel may be required

Work Visa:
Authorized to work in United States

Interpersonal Skills

· Analytical and innovative problem-solver with strong technical grounding in electronics and mechatronics.

· Skilled communicator who can engage effectively with design, manufacturing, and supplier teams.

· Naturally curious, driven to understand how products fail and how to make them more robust.

· Comfortable in both lab and field environments, balancing data analysis with hands-on validation.

· Adaptable, pragmatic, and capable of leading cross-functional efforts under tight deadlines.

· Committed to quality excellence, product reliability, and continuous improvement.