Advanced / NPI Quality Engineer

Hayward · USD 145,000-257,000 / year · Full-time · Onsite · Posted Sep 29, 2026

At a glance

Skydio is seeking an Advanced / NPI Quality Engineer to own product quality from concept through ramp, on one product, end to end.
The role combines advanced quality design-phase prevention with NPI build execution so the person who wrote the DFMEA is on the line when failure modes occur.
Responsibilities include setting targets, facilitating risk analysis, qualifying suppliers and measurement systems, running build quality, and managing gates.

Set CTQ characteristics and quality targets (yield, DPMO, AFR), write the quality plan, and classify the BOM by risk with PPAP levels assigned per part.
Facilitate the DFMEA to verified closure, contribute to design reviews and DFM, and run EVT build quality including first article inspection and failure analysis.
Build the linked PFMEA and control plan, complete MSA on key gauges, and review supplier PPAP submissions.
Run capability studies and run-at-rate with production operators, approve the internal PPAP, and stand up SPC with real reaction plans.
Design the safe-launch plan with exit criteria, run daily quality reviews, drive 8D on escapes, and monitor field AFR.
Transfer a complete record set to sustaining quality and feed learnings back into the FMEA libraries and supplier requirements.

Bachelor's in an engineering discipline, or equivalent experience.
5+ years in quality engineering on physical products, including one product carried personally from design through mass production.
Hands-on DFMEA/PFMEA facilitation, control plans actually used on a line, and MSA/gauge R&R/capability studies you can run yourself.
Working knowledge of PPAP and root cause methods (8D, 5-why, fault tree) with verified closure.
Equally comfortable on the factory floor and in a design review.

Consumer electronics manufacturing (SMT, final assembly, RF test, cosmetic standards) and experience working through a CM/ODM.
Supplier quality (audits, sub-tier risk, PCN), IPC-A-610/J-STD-001/ESD S20.20, and reliability testing (HALT, AFR modeling).
Data fluency in SPC/yield analysis (JMP, Minitab, Python, SQL) and pulling your own data from the MES.
CQE or Six Sigma Black Belt; APQP under IATF 16949 or ISO 13485.
FCC/CE, UN 38.3, or IP ingress compliance exposure.
Obtaining FAA Part 107 certification within the first 60 days of employment.

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