Senior Product Quality Engineer

About us:
Aeva is building the next generation of sensing and perception for autonomous vehicles and beyond. With its unique ability to measure instantaneous velocity for each pixel, long-range performance at high resolutions, while being free from LiDAR or sunlight interference, Aeva’s 4D LiDAR is built from the ground up at silicon photonics scale for mass-market applications.

Role Overview:
We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Product Quality Engineer to join our dynamic team. In this role, you will be responsible for overseeing the production quality of Aeva’s state-of-the-art 4D LiDAR. As a key member of our team, you will act as the primary quality liaison between Aeva and its contract manufacturers and ensure excellence throughout the manufacturing process.

What You’ll Be Doing::
• Lead and manage quality assurance activities throughout the entire production lifecycle, from New Product Introduction (NPI) through Start of Production (SOP) and into full-scale manufacturing.
• Collaborate with engineering, manufacturing, and supply chain teams to ensure quality requirements are met at all stages.
• Drive root cause analysis and corrective action processes to address product quality issues.
• Develop and implement a comprehensive quality plan aligned with automotive standards such as IATF 16949.
• Implement APQP (Advanced Product Quality Planning) processes with our contract manufacturers from the initial design stage through PPAP submission.
• Review and approve process validation plans and establish a robust quality control plan to achieve zero defects.
• Evaluate the capability and effectiveness of manufacturing processes, procedures, production tools and test equipment.
• Conduct regular process audits to ensure compliance with automotive quality requirements and best practices.
• Lead quality initiatives to improve and sustain product quality at scale.
• Ensure any changes in design, process, or material are thoroughly reviewed for potential quality impacts and implemented in a controlled manner.
• Develop and maintain key quality metrics and report these metrics to senior management.

What You Have::
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• A minimum of 5 years of experience in a Manufacturing or Quality role within the automotive industry or other advanced manufacturing industries.
• Expert in automotive quality management standards and AIAG core tools including Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP), Statistical Process Control (SPC), Measurement System Analysis (MSA), Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) and Production Part Approval Process (PPAP).
• Fluent in reading technical drawings and solid understanding of geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T).
• Experienced qualifying mechanical or optical metrology tools.
• Self- starter who is able to manage multiple projects simultaneously and adapt to new challenges within a fast paced environment.
• Strong problem-solving skills and experience with root cause analysis and corrective action processes.
• Fluent in English with excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability and willingness to travel domestically and internationally up to 20% based on business needs.

Nice to have:
• Experience in manufacturing advanced optical sensor systems.
• Certified Quality Management Systems auditor (e.g., ISO 9001, IATF16949) or VDA 6.3 process auditor.
• Working experience with Jira, Confluence and TeamCenter is a plus.