Senior Manager, Quality Engineer

Aurora Innovation$178K — $285K *
Manufacturing & Automotive
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related field; Master's is a plus.
  • Minimum 10 years in quality or field reliability with leadership experience.
  • Experience with RCCA methodologies and corrective action systems.
  • Strong data-analysis skills with experience using dashboards and telemetry.
  • Familiar with coordinating hardware and software investigations in deployed environments.
  • Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
  • Proven ability to develop and maintain complex process frameworks.
  • Familiarity with ISO 9001 and related compliance frameworks.

Responsibilities

  • Establish and lead the new Field Quality function for fleet issue evaluation.
  • Define roles and responsibilities for Field Quality activities and maintain governing documents.
  • Build and manage a high-performing team of Field Quality Engineers and Technicians.
  • Own the Field Quality dashboard and define metrics to monitor performance.
  • Triage and classify incoming fleet issues, coordinating investigations across teams.
  • Drive RCCA processes to ensure timely resolution of corrective actions.
  • Coordinate escalation paths for critical field-quality issues and assessments.

Benefits

  • Hybrid work environment requiring at least 3 in-office days per week.
  • Commitment to safety and a culture of integrity and collaboration.
  • Eligible for an annual bonus and equity compensation.
Full Job Description
What we are looking for

We are seeking an experienced Field Quality Senior Manager to establish and lead the new Field Quality function within the Safety Case & Quality Management team. This role will own fleet-level quality evaluation, root-cause corrective action (RCCA) tracking, and the development of processes, tooling, and governance for field issue management across Hardware, Software, and Operations. The successful candidate will build and grow a team of Field Quality Engineers and Technicians, drive cross-functional alignment, and deliver measurable improvements in fleet reliability and issue resolution.

In this role you will
  • Establish and lead the Field Quality function to evaluate fleet issues, prioritize actions, and track RCCA lifecycles from detection through closure.
  • Define scope, roles, and responsibilities (RASIC) for Field Quality activities and maintain the master Aurora Field Quality Playbook and governing documents.
  • Build and manage a high-performing team of Field Quality Engineers and Field Quality Technicians (hire and mentor as needed).
  • Own the Field Quality dashboard(s) and field-data tooling; define metrics, KPIs, and reporting to monitor fleet health and quality performance.
  • Triage incoming fleet issues (telemetry alerts, field reports), classify failures, and coordinate cross-functional investigations and fixes with Hardware, Software, Operations, and Service Org stakeholders.
  • Drive RCCA processes (8D, 5-Why, etc.); ensure timely assignment, verification, and closure of CAPAs and verify effectiveness through pilot or fleet validation.
  • Coordinate escalation paths and predefined processes for safety-or mission-critical issues; act as primary DRI for field-quality related Go/No-Go and launch readiness concerns when required.
  • Collaborate with Program Management, Engineering, and Service teams to plan and communicate risk, rollout strategies (OTA updates, field retrofits, shop repairs), and stakeholder sign-offs.
  • Develop and maintain documentation, workflows, and training to ensure consistent execution across locations and teams
  • Use lean problem-solving, statistical analysis, and data-driven methods to identify top fleet issues and drive continuous improvement.
  • Represent Field Quality in relevant reviews, audits, and quality/regulatory assessments; support integration with ISO 9001 and other compliance activities as needed.
  • Provide technical mentorship to field quality staff and support broader Quality and Safety objectives.

Required qualifications
  • Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Quality, Systems Engineering, or a related field; Master's degree is a plus.
  • Minimum 10 years' experience in quality, field reliability, or related roles with increasing leadership responsibility; proven experience managing cross-functional teams.
  • Demonstrated experience with RCCA methodologies and corrective action systems (8D, 5-Why, FMEA).
  • Strong data-analysis skills and familiarity with dashboards, telemetry, and field-data systems to drive evidence-based decisions.
  • Practical experience coordinating Hardware and Software investigations and working with Operations/Service organizations in a fleet or deployed product environment.
  • Excellent stakeholder management, written and verbal communication, and ability to influence across engineering and operations teams.
  • Proven ability to develop processes, RASIC definitions, and governing playbooks for complex cross-functional programs.
  • Familiarity with ISO 9001 and other quality/compliance frameworks; experience preparing for internal and external audits.
  • Experience with tools such as Jira, data visualization/dashboard platforms, and statistical software; scripting (Python) or data-analysis skills desirable.

Desirable qualifications
  • Experience with automotive or safety-critical standards (ISO 26262, ASPICE, IATF 16949) is advantageous.
  • Prior experience leading field quality programs for fleets, OTA rollout coordination, or service operations.
  • Familiarity with PLM, ERP, and incident-management tooling.

For roles based in Coppell, TX and Pittsburgh, PA: The salary range for this position is $178,000 - $285,000 per year.

Aurora's pay ranges are determined by role, level, and location. Within the range, the successful candidate's starting base pay will be determined based on factors including job-related skills, experience, qualifications, relevant education or training, and market conditions. These ranges may be modified in the future. The successful candidate will also be eligible for an annual bonus, equity compensation, and benefits.

Working at Aurora

At Aurora, we bring together extraordinarily talented and experienced people united by the strength of our values. We operate with integrity, set outrageous goals, and build a culture where we win together - all without any jerks.

We believe in-person work increases collaboration, empathy and our ability to lead effectively. As a result, we operate in a hybrid work environment where Aurorans are in office at least 3 days per week.

Our Careers page provides insight into what it is like to work at Aurora, and you can find all the latest updates in our Newsroom.

Our commitment to safety

At the core of everything we do is our commitment to safety. Building best-in-class self-driving technology will take time, and we believe that each employee at Aurora has a role in contributing to safety, every step of the way. Aurora expects commitment to our safety policies from every employee, and seeks candidates who take an active responsibility, can contribute to building an atmosphere of trust, and invest in the organization's long-term success by prioritizing working safely, no matter what.

About Aurora Innovation

Aurora Innovation is a technology company that develops self-driving car technology. The company was founded in 2017 by a team of experts in the field of autonomous vehicles, including former executives from Google, Tesla, and Uber. Aurora's technology is designed to enable vehicles to operate safely and efficiently in a variety of driving conditions, and the company has partnerships with a number of major automakers, including Volkswagen and Hyundai. Aurora is based in Boston, Massachusetts.
Learn more about Aurora Innovation
Size
600 employees
Market Cap
$1.3 billion
Industry
NASDAQ

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