Senior Quality Engineer

At Vatn Systems, we design and build cutting-edge Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) that redefine what’s possible in undersea exploration and defense. Our vehicles combine high-performance electro-mechanical systems, precision sensors, and advanced software to operate in the world’s most demanding ocean environments.

We're looking for a Senior Quality Engineer to raise the bar on how we deliver these machines through robust quality systems, partnering across engineering and production, and ensuring every AUV not only works, but endures in the harshest of conditions.

As a Senior Quality Engineer, you’ll own the processes and standards that guarantee reliability from design through deployment. You’ll lead root cause investigations, establish inspection criteria, develop supplier quality programs, and coach the production team on best practices. This is a hands-on role for someone who thrives in fast-moving environments, balances rigor with pragmatism, and wants to leave their fingerprints on a product that has to perform where failure is not an option.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Develop, implement, and maintain quality systems and processes across design, production, and testing of AUVs
• Lead root cause analysis and corrective/preventive action to eliminate recurring issues
• Define and enforce inspection and test criteria for electro-mechanical assemblies, software-integrated systems, and final vehicle builds
• Partner with engineering to ensure design for manufacturability, reliability, and compliance with defense/marine standards
• Drive supplier quality programs, including audits, incoming inspection, and supplier corrective actions
• Establish and monitor key quality metrics (yield, defect rates, reliability trends) and communicate results to leadership
• Author and maintain quality documentation: control plans, inspection procedures, checklists, and work instructions
• Provide training and mentorship to technicians and engineers on quality best practices.
• Champion continuous improvement initiatives to increase reliability, reduce rework, and scale production effectively
• Support certification, compliance, and regulatory requirements (ISO/AS, defense/marine standards)

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Manufacturing, or related Engineering discipline
• 5 years of quality engineering experience in a complex electromechanical or defense/regulated industry, ideally with robotics systems
• Proven expertise with root cause analysis, corrective/preventive actions (RCA/CAPA), and structured problem-solving (e.g., 8D, Six Sigma, FMEA)
• Hands-on experience with inspection methods, measurement tools, and quality control techniques (CMM, GD&T, IPC, etc.)
• Strong knowledge of ISO 9001 and/or AS9100 quality management systems; familiarity with defense/marine standards is a plus
• Experience working cross-functionally with design, manufacturing, supply chain, and test teams to drive quality outcomes
• Excellent data analysis skills with the ability to define, track, and communicate quality metrics
• Strong communication and documentation skills for both shop-floor and executive audiences
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced startup environment, balancing rigor with urgency

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in Engineering, Quality, or related field
• Six Sigma Green/Black Belt, ASQ Certified Quality Engineer (CQE), or equivalent certification
• Experience implementing and auditing ISO 9001/AS9100 quality systems in production environments
• Familiarity with defense, aerospace, or marine standards (e.g., MIL-STD and IPC-J-STD)
• Direct experience with supplier quality management, including audits, PPAP, and first article inspection
• Strong background in statistical process control and reliability engineering methods
• Proficiency with digital manufacturing systems (ERP/MRP, MES, Palantir Foundry, or equivalent)
• Demonstrated success scaling quality processes in a startup or rapid growth environment