Head of Quality

Tutor Intelligence•Watertown, MA

6d•Onsite

About The Position

Tutor Intelligence is hiring its first Head of Quality to build the quality function from the ground up as its Watertown factory scales production of current robots and prepares to launch a next-generation robot in 2027. The role reports to the CTO and is a peer to the Heads of Manufacturing and Supply Chain. It carries authority to hold any shipment that does not meet requirements. Initially, the Head of Quality will lead root-cause work directly and then build a small team. The role owns production quality gates and yield, field reliability and failure management, supplier quality across the US and Asia supply base, quality systems and product safety certifications, and quality data and tools. The first-year goals include preventing quality escapes during the production ramp, preparing a launch quality plan for the next-generation robot, tracing field failures to verified fixes, and qualifying second-source suppliers for drives, PCBAs, robot arms, and castings. This is a full-time, exempt, on-site position in Watertown, Massachusetts, with about 25% travel. Compensation is $220,000–$280,000 per year, plus equity.

Requirements

BS or higher in engineering.
8+ years of experience in hardware quality, including 3+ years leading quality engineers.
Experience building a quality function or QMS where none existed.
Personally led 8D/RCA processes to closure on electromechanical hardware.
Supplier quality experience at scale, including suppliers in Asia.
Background in robotics, EV/battery/automotive, or capital equipment.
Sound judgment to stop a shipment and the relationship skills to keep teams moving.
Manages by data.

Nice To Haves

Experience with lithium battery safety and transport, including UN 38.3.
Product safety certification experience, such as UL/CSA/CE.
ASQ CQE/CRE or Six Sigma Black Belt.
Mandarin or direct experience working with Chinese suppliers.
MES/PLM experience, such as ION or Arena.
Experience building tools that other people use.

Responsibilities

Build and lead Tutor’s quality function, initially handling root-cause work directly and later growing a small team.
Establish incoming, in-process, and final production quality gates; manage first-pass yield and exercise shipment-hold authority.
Own field reliability processes, including RMA, failure analysis, FRACAS, and the weekly MRB; set MTBF targets alongside Engineering.
Manage supplier quality, including audits, PPAP, and SCARs across US and Asia suppliers, and qualify second sources.
Establish quality systems, including document control, CAPA, product safety certifications, and ISO 9001 readiness.
Develop trusted quality data on the MES and internal platforms.
Hire a Quality & Reliability Engineer, US and Asia supplier quality engineers, and a quality systems specialist.
Deliver zero quality escapes during the production ramp, a launch quality plan for the next-generation robot, verified fixes for field failures, and qualified second-source suppliers for drives, PCBAs, robot arms, and castings.