Zipline · 2 months ago
Head of Manufacturing Quality
South San Francisco, California, USA
Full-time
Onsite
Director/Executive
10+ years expZipline is on a mission to transform the way goods move, aiming to solve urgent access challenges through innovative logistics solutions. As Head of Quality, you will lead the Quality organization, overseeing quality processes and ensuring product reliability and performance across manufacturing operations.
DeliveryDronesElectric VehicleHome Health CareLogisticsRoboticsSupply Chain Management
Responsibilities
Lead and develop Zipline’s Quality Engineering and Quality Technician teams, ensuring effective execution across IQC, EOL, and OQC functions
Define, implement, and continuously improve quality processes across top-level assemblies (aircraft, droid, dock)
Establish and track key quality metrics including first pass yield, defect rates, rework hours, and field quality escapes (modifying these as scale changes)
Drive cross-functional investigations for major production or field quality issues—owning containment, root cause analysis, corrective/preventive actions (CAPA), and communication to leadership
Drive PFMEAs for all products to be manufactured on the production lines to establish control plans and quality procedures
Partner with Manufacturing Engineering, Supply Chain, and Product Design to implement design-for-quality (DFQ) and process control strategies that reduce variability and improve manufacturability
Oversee and optimize incoming inspection programs to ensure parts and subassemblies meet quality standards before entering production
Champion reliability improvement and validation testing at end-of-line to prevent downstream failures and quality escapes to the field
Own the overall Quality Management System (QMS) maturity roadmap—balancing rigor with practicality as the company scales
Lead continuous improvement initiatives focused on driving yield improvement, waste reduction, and process standardization
Build and foster a culture of accountability, root cause problem-solving, and pride in quality across the production floor
Serve as the senior quality voice in leadership reviews—providing transparency into risks, performance trends, and improvement priorities
Qualification
Required
10+ years of experience in manufacturing quality, reliability, or production engineering, including 3+ years in a leadership role managing quality teams
Experience with scaling a quality system from low prototype production to low volume production (100/wk) to high volume production (1000s/wk) with complex electro-mechanical hardware (automotive, small aircraft, robotics, etc)
Strong understanding of quality engineering tools and methodologies: PFMEA, control plans, and CAPA
Demonstrated success in scaling quality systems across complex electro-mechanical products
Hands-on experience in production environments managing inspection, testing, and validation activities
Proven ability to reduce quality escapes and improve first pass yield in high-mix, low- to mid-volume operations
Strong data analysis skills; comfortable using quality metrics to drive improvement and accountability
Experience collaborating closely with Manufacturing Engineering, Supply Chain, and Design Engineering teams to influence product and process quality
Excellent leadership and communication skills—capable of motivating teams and driving cross-functional alignment
Ability to balance hands-on problem solving with long-term strategic planning
Comfort operating in a fast-paced, ambiguous, and rapidly scaling environment
Preferred
Experience in robotics or automotive manufacturing
Background in supplier quality and global production scaling
Familiarity with MES, ERP, and PLM systems for quality data traceability
Experience managing automated or semi-automated inspection systems
Company
Zipline
Zipline designs, manufactures, and operates drones to deliver vital medical products.
1001-5000 employees
H1B Sponsorship
Zipline has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (54)
2024 (39)
2023 (29)
2022 (20)
2021 (16)
2020 (3)
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageTotal Funding
$1.92BKey Investors
Tiger Global ManagementU.S. Department of StateScottish Mortgage Investment Trust
2026-01-21Series Unknown· $600M
2025-11-25Grant· $150M
2024-06-01Series G· $350M
Leadership Team
Keller Rinaudo Cliffton
Co-founder & CEO
Keenan Wyrobek
Founder, CTO and Product Architect
Recent News
2026-01-23
felicis.com
2025-12-26
Company data provided by crunchbase