Quality Engineer

Job Title

Quality Engineer

Role Summary

Join the production team building chip fabs and the tools that go into them. You will design and maintain quality systems, inspection criteria, and workflows to ensure components, assemblies, tools, and fabs meet specifications and are released reliably.

Work closely with engineers, technicians, machinists, and suppliers to detect defects, determine root cause, implement corrective actions, and prevent recurrence. Employment is contingent on the applicant's ability to comply with U.S. export controls.

Experience Level

Mid-level — 3+ years of experience in manufacturing quality, supplier quality, manufacturing engineering, or test engineering for complex hardware is recommended.

Responsibilities

Primary responsibilities include defining inspection criteria, driving investigations, and implementing quality controls across parts, assemblies, and production processes.

• Develop inspection and acceptance criteria for components, tools, and complete fabs.
• Create incoming, first-article, in-process, and final inspection plans from drawings, specifications, CAD models, and BOMs.
• Inspect and qualify high-risk machined parts, PCBAs, vacuum components, assemblies, and processes.
• Establish quality gates and nonconforming-material processes (quarantine, rework, use-as-is, scrap) to prevent escapes.
• Lead root-cause investigations for defects, leaks, test failures, rework, and supplier issues; develop and verify corrective actions.
• Work directly with suppliers to resolve recurring component defects and improve supplier quality.
• Select, qualify, and maintain inspection, measurement, and calibration equipment.
• Implement quality, inspection, traceability, and nonconformance workflows in ERP/MES and track metrics (first-pass yield, defects, escapes, corrective-action effectiveness).
• Improve assembly processes, fixtures, work instructions, inspection access, tolerances, and acceptance requirements to improve manufacturability.
• Train technicians and machinists to inspect their own work and record defects at the source; support tool and fab bring-up, acceptance, and release.

Requirements

Must-have skills and experience required for immediate impact.

• 3+ years in manufacturing quality, supplier quality, manufacturing engineering, or test engineering for complex hardware.
• Experience developing inspection plans and acceptance criteria from drawings, specifications, and CAD models.
• Proven record investigating manufacturing defects and implementing effective corrective actions.
• Hands-on experience inspecting mechanical and electromechanical components using standard measurement equipment.
• Experience with first-article inspection, management of nonconforming material, root-cause analysis, and corrective-action systems.
• Ability to work directly with engineers, technicians, machinists, and suppliers to resolve problems.

Nice-to-have:

• Experience with semiconductor equipment, aerospace, robotics, automotive, medical devices, or other complex electromechanical systems.
• Familiarity with vacuum systems, leak testing, PCBAs, precision motion systems, or cleanroom assembly.
• Experience with CMMs, optical inspection, surface measurement, electrical test, or automated inspection systems.
• Familiarity with ERP/MES or QMS systems and experience building quality systems in prototype or rapidly scaling production environments.

Education Requirements

Not specified.

About the Company

Company: fab2

Headquarters: Austin, TX, United States

Early-stage hardware startup that designs and builds semiconductor fabrication equipment, tools, and the hardware/software needed to make fabs. Works on lithography, metrology, motion systems and related components; founded by Sam Zeloof and Jim Keller with offices in Austin and San Francisco.