Associate Manager, Hardware Test Engineering

Cricut•South Jordan, UT

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

Cricut is seeking to hire an experienced and hands-on Associate Manager, HW Test Engineering to join our Hardware Quality Engineering team. This is a player-coach role responsible for both directly contributing to hardware test strategy, test planning, execution, troubleshooting, and data analysis, while also providing day-to-day leadership for a small team of Hardware Test Engineers and Hardware QA Testers. You will be responsible for helping formulate test strategies, developing and executing test plans for new and existing products based on product requirements, engineering specifications, and potential customer use cases. This role will supervise and mentor team members, support test execution, review results and documentation, drive root-cause analysis, and communicate product quality risks to cross-functional teams throughout the product development lifecycle.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree or higher in Mechanical Engineering, Material Science, Electrical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related technical field
Six or more (6+) years of post-graduate, hands-on technical work experience in hardware testing, quality engineering, reliability testing, manufacturing quality, or a related field
Prior experience leading, mentoring, training, or supervising engineers, testers, technicians, or lab personnel
Strong hands-on mechanical problem-solving and logical thinking skills
Experience developing and executing hardware test plans based on product requirements, engineering specifications, and use cases
Experience analyzing test data, identifying trends, troubleshooting failures, and communicating findings clearly
Must have excellent interpersonal skills, including strong spoken and written English communication
Self-starter, capable of working independently while making sound technical and business judgments
Ability to build strong cross-functional relationships and influence teams without direct authority
Experience with engineering drawings, test documentation, and technical reporting
Experience using calipers, digital microscopes, test equipment, and common lab tools
Strong Microsoft Excel skills, including formulas, data organization, charts, and basic statistical analysis
Understanding of sum, max, min, average, standard deviation, confidence intervals, and other basic statistical concepts
Ability to collect, collate, analyze, and present data and findings from tests
Able to maintain high attention to detail, including while working on repetitive or long-duration test activities
Able to lift up to 70 lbs
Able to travel internationally up to 20% of the time (i.e. Malaysia, China and other locations where we manufacture machines which may be determined by business needs)

Nice To Haves

Experience in a player-coach or hands-on team lead role
Project management and people management experience
Excellent understanding of assembly processes
Experience testing, analyzing, troubleshooting, or repairing hardware, mechanical, electronic, or electromechanical devices
Experience with one or more of the following: mechanical parts, gears, castings, plastic parts, injection molding, tooling, jigs, fixtures, or automotive high-volume quality manufacturing engineering
Experience with root-cause analysis and fixing hardware issues
Knowledgeable in production control processes and data analysis tools such as GR&R, Cp/Cpk, SPC, DOE, correlation analysis, t-tests, and confidence intervals
Experience with Minitab or other statistical analysis software
Experience with process and design failure mode effects analysis, including DFMEA and PFMEA
Experience conducting IPQC, first-article inspections, site audits, or supplier/contract manufacturer quality activities
Working knowledge of UL, ASTM, ISO, or other relevant testing standards
Experience with Advanced Product Quality Planning, APQP
Experience with GD&T and CAD software such as Creo or SolidWorks
Experience in mechanical design, rapid prototyping, 3D printing, machining, fixtures, and test setup development
Hands-on experience with machining equipment, including tapping holes, milling, or lathe work
Practical experience with thermodynamics, circuit boards, electronics, DC circuits, or infrared thermography
Experience with Finite Element Analysis, FEA, or Computational Fluid Dynamics, CFD
Microcontroller programming experience such as Arduino, C++, or Python
Knowledge of current Cricut products, including Explore, Maker, EasyPress, and other products and tools
ASQ certification or other relevant quality certification

Responsibilities

Lead, coach, and support a small hardware quality test team, likely including one Hardware Test Engineer and multiple Hardware QA Testers
Serve as a hands-on technical contributor by developing, executing, and reviewing hardware test plans for new and existing products
Assign and prioritize daily test activities, lab work, data collection, troubleshooting, and reporting across the team
Train, mentor, and provide technical guidance to engineers, testers, technicians, and lab personnel
Review test data, defect findings, failure analysis, and documentation to ensure accuracy, consistency, and completeness
Analyze materials and data, conduct tests, troubleshoot issues, monitor performance, and ensure quality control during product development stages
Develop and improve methods of testing, including repeatable test procedures, fixtures, jigs, and data collection processes
Develop test plans for thermal, humidity, vibration, shock, drop/tumble, HALT/HASS, accelerated aging, durability, reliability, and other product qualification testing
Conduct and lead root-cause analysis through Eight Disciplines (8D), fishbone analysis, 5-Why, or similar methods to drive corrective and preventive actions
Utilize quality engineering tools and techniques such as gage R&R, SPC, DOE, Cp/Cpk, correlation analysis, and design for reliability to improve product quality and reliability
Communicate and present defect, failure, risk, and opportunity data to cross-functional teams
Collaborate with Engineering, Product, Manufacturing, Supplier Quality, Operations, and Contract Manufacturing teams to validate designs, manufacturing lines, and product readiness
Analyze and recommend product readiness at EVT, DVT, MPQ, MP, and other development gates
Support Product Risk Analysis activities, including DFMEA, PFMEA, NUDD, Lessons Learned, and high-risk item tracking prior to validating final designs
Support QA concerns in meetings with cross-functional and project teams
Maintain test equipment, lab organization, inventories, test supplies, and calibration needs
Help establish team best practices for documentation, test execution, data integrity, lab safety, and issue escalation
Provide input on performance, development, workload planning, and team capability needs