Product Quality Engineer

Job Title

Product Quality Engineer

Role Summary

Owner of quality assurance for Etched's advanced AI hardware builds, responsible for supplier and contract-manufacturer quality across components, server assembly, and rack integration. Works closely with Manufacturing Operations, Supply Chain, and Test Engineering to define inspection, test, and reliability requirements.

This is a hands-on, factory-facing role based in San Jose supporting scalable quality systems and high-volume production readiness.

Experience Level

Mid-level — typically requires 5+ years of experience in quality engineering, supplier quality, or manufacturing quality supporting semiconductor, PCB/A, server, or high-performance hardware products.

Responsibilities

Accountable for establishing and executing quality processes across suppliers, contract manufacturers, and integration partners.

• Lead quality assurance for ASIC/chip, PCB/A, L6 components, L10 server manufacturers, and L11 rack integrators (US and overseas).
• Establish and maintain IQC, IPQC, and OQC processes, inspection criteria, control plans, and quality gates from incoming materials through system assembly and rack integration.
• Oversee SMT process controls and inspections (SPI, AOI, X-ray) with suppliers to prevent defects and improve capability.
• Define system-level test coverage, burn-in protocols, reliability validation, and production acceptance criteria with Test Engineering.
• Drive failure analysis, root-cause investigations, and corrective/preventive actions using 8D, CAPA, and FMEA.
• Track and report quality metrics (yield, Cpk/SPC, defect density, escapes, DPPM) and drive data-based improvements.
• Participate in ECO reviews, configuration changes, and NPI build reviews to enforce quality gates during introduction and ramp.
• Conduct supplier audits and ensure compliance with applicable standards (ISO/AS, IPC) and Etched manufacturing requirements.
• Collaborate with operations to improve line capability, documentation, training, and process controls at supplier and CM sites.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills and experience for immediate effectiveness in the role.

• 5+ years in quality engineering, supplier quality, or manufacturing quality for ASIC/chip, semiconductor, PCB/A, server, or other high-performance hardware.
• Hands-on experience supporting quality across component suppliers, server assembly, and rack integration with Tier 1 contract manufacturers or ODMs.
• Proven ability to establish and manage IQC, IPQC, and OQC systems in production environments.
• Strong knowledge of PCB/A manufacturing processes and inspection methods (SMT, SPI, AOI, X-ray) and experience driving process improvements.
• Deep familiarity with structured quality methodologies: 8D, CAPA, FMEA, SPC, control plans, and Cpk analysis.
• Experience tracking and improving manufacturing quality metrics such as yield, DPPM, defect density, and escapes.
• Familiarity with server assembly workflows, burn-in, and system-level test operations.
• Excellent cross-functional communication and ability to drive alignment across engineering, operations, and suppliers.
• Willingness and ability to work on-site at supplier and contract manufacturer factories to resolve production issues in real time.

Education Requirements

Preferred engineering background in electrical, mechanical, manufacturing, or industrial engineering; no specific degree explicitly required in the posting.

Nice-to-have

Additional skills that would strengthen a candidate's fit.

• Background in AI ASIC or high-performance compute hardware.
• Experience with L11 rack-level integration and validation.
• Exposure to thermal/power stress testing and system reliability engineering.
• Prior experience ramping complex systems from NPI into mass production.
• Experience developing supplier quality strategies for advanced compute hardware programs.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision with generous premium coverage; $500/month credit if waiving medical benefits.
• Housing subsidy of $2,000/month for those living within walking distance of the office; relocation support to San Jose (Santana Row).
• Wellness benefits (fitness, mental health), daily lunch and dinner on-site, and an unlimited compute budget subject to ROI justification.

About the Company

Company: Etched

Headquarters: San Jose, CA, United States

Etched develops purpose-built AI inference ASICs and systems optimized for transformer models, aiming to deliver significantly higher performance, lower cost, and lower latency than GPUs. The company focuses on enabling applications like real-time video generation and advanced reasoning agents, and is backed by leading investors and engineers.