The posting
About Rivet Rivet is an American company building integrated task systems — fusing hardened hardware with software, sensors, AI, and networking — for industrial workforces and defense personnel. We create capabilities that multiply the effectiveness of every individual and withstand the world’s toughest environments.
We serve the people who build, operate, maintain, and defend our way of life. From technicians and engineers to first responders and service members, they embody the hard work, ingenuity, and meritocratic values that drive Western prosperity. Yet too often they are forced to rely on outdated tools that fail under modern pressures. Rivet exists to reset that priority.
At Rivet, you’ll join a mission-driven team that fuses disciplines to deliver decisive outcomes where they matter most. Whether shaping our technology, strengthening our partnerships, or building our culture, every role here contributes to equipping the front lines with the modern systems they deserve.
Work Authorization Requirement: Due to the nature of our business and compliance with federal regulations, all candidates must be a "U.S. Person". Upon hire, you will be required to provide documentation verifying your status as a U.S. Citizen, a lawful permanent resident, or a protected individual under 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3).
Summary
Rivet Industries builds rugged hardware and software for defense and industrial frontline workers. We are looking for an experienced Quality Manager to build and lead quality across the company, from the first prototype through shipped product in the field.
This is the first dedicated quality leadership role at Rivet. You will own the quality system end to end, grow a small team, and set the standard our contract manufacturers, suppliers and internal teams build to. Our products are made with contract manufacturers overseas today, and we are standing up US manufacturing alongside them, so you will build a quality program that works across both.
You will lead every quality function in the org.
- Supplier quality: contract manufacturer and component supplier quality, including audits, qualification, incoming inspection, SCARs and supplier scorecards
- In-house quality engineering: inspection plans, process controls, first article inspection and line quality for our US builds
- Company quality system: the QMS itself, including ISO 9001 certification (with a path toward AS9100), document control, internal audits, CAPA and management review
- Software quality: release quality standards and test gates for the software that ships on and with our hardware, in partnership with Software
- Compliance: oversight of trade compliance, regulatory and product certifications, environmental compliance and safety
Responsibilities
- Define and run Rivet's quality strategy, policies and metrics, and report quality performance to Operations and executive leadership
- Build, implement and maintain a QMS that achieves ISO 9001 certification and scales toward AS9100 and defense customer requirements
- Lead supplier and contract manufacturer quality: qualification audits, quality agreements, process audits, SCARs and corrective action through closure
- Set up quality for US in-house manufacturing, including inspection, first article inspection, process controls and nonconforming material review
- Own quality gates across NPI: DFM/DFT input, PFMEA and control plans, build readiness reviews and production release criteria
- Run a closed-loop CAPA process and lead 8D investigations on significant escapes
- Partner with Software to set release quality standards and test gates for shipped software
- Oversee compliance across trade (export controls such as ITAR/EAR), product regulatory certifications, environmental (RoHS, REACH) and safety, and support customer and government audits
- Work with Engineering, Program Management, Supply Chain and Manufacturing to make quality a design and build requirement, not an end-of-line check
- Hire, develop and lead a team of quality, reliability and compliance engineers as the company grows
Required qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in engineering or a related technical field
- 10+ years in quality engineering or quality management for electronic or electromechanical hardware
- 5+ years leading quality teams or a quality function
- Hands-on experience managing contract manufacturers and suppliers, including overseas (Asia) manufacturing
- Experience building or running an ISO 9001 QMS and leading a company through certification or surveillance audits
- Deep working knowledge of quality tools: FMEA, control plans, SPC, MSA, first article inspection, 8D and root cause analysis
- Experience taking products from NPI through volume production
- Ability to work across engineering, operations and leadership, and to set direction without a large existing team
- Willingness to travel to contract manufacturers and suppliers (domestic and international)
- Ability to meet U.S. export control (ITAR) requirements
Preferred qualifications
- Experience in defense, aerospace or other regulated hardware (AS9100, MIL-STD-810, MIL-STD-461, DFARS flow-downs)
- Startup or early-stage experience building a quality function from the ground up
- Experience standing up a new US factory or production line
- Familiarity with IPC-A-610 / J-STD-001 workmanship standards
- Experience with export, environmental and product certification programs
- Experience with a PLM/QMS system (for example Arena)
- ASQ certification (CQE, CQM/OE or CRE) or Six Sigma Black Belt
Compensation may vary within the posted range based on relevant experience, skills, education, and other job-related factors. In addition to base salary, this role may be eligible for equity and other forms of compensation. Eligible employees also receive a competitive benefits package, including unlimited PTO.
Rivet is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any characteristic protected by applicable law. Certain roles may require U.S. Person status, security clearance eligibility, or other requirements imposed by law or government contract.
