Overview
Quality Engineering Technician Jobs in San Carlos, CA at 1X Technologies
Quality Engineering Technician
Department: Quality
Location: San Carlos, CA / On-site
Target Start Date: Immediately
About 1X
We’re building humanoid robots that work in the home—doing the chores, handling the tasks, and giving people their time back. Simple, but it isn’t.
To do this right, we have to solve robotics, AI, and manufacturing at the same time, at scale, in a form factor that has to be safe enough to live with your family. If you’re inspired by this, you’ll thrive here.
We’ve been at this since 2014, and we’re at the point where the hardest problems are behind us and the hard work is in front of us.
NEO is our flagship—a home robot designed to move, learn, and operate in the real world alongside real people. We’re not demoing it. We’re shipping it.
If you’ve spent your career working on problems that matter and want to see them actually reach the world, this is that moment. We’re scaling, we’re hiring with intention, and we need people who want to build something that will genuinely change how humans spend their time—safely creating abundance for all.
About the Team
The Quality team makes sure every component, assembly, and robot meets the standards required to operate safely and reliably in the real world. We work directly with Manufacturing, Engineering, Supply Chain, and Operations to catch problems early, contain defects, and improve the way NEO is built as we move from prototypes to production.
This is a hands-on team working directly with the hardware. Depending on your assignment, you may inspect incoming materials, validate rope and hand assemblies, perform inspections during robot integration, or investigate defects coming directly from the production line.
Your Charter
As a Quality Engineering Technician, you will help ensure that NEO is built correctly at every stage of the manufacturing process—from incoming components and materials through subassembly and final robot integration.
You’ll perform hands-on inspection and testing, identify and contain nonconforming hardware, investigate root causes, and work directly with Manufacturing and Engineering to resolve quality issues. This role is intentionally broad: technicians may support incoming quality, rope and hand assemblies, integration inspection, or other critical areas of robot production based on business needs and individual strengths.
You will be close to the hardware every day and will play a critical role in catching issues before they reach the next stage of production or, ultimately, a customer’s home.
Key Outcomes
- Accurate, timely inspection: Ensure incoming materials, components, subassemblies, and integrated robots meet defined specifications before moving to the next stage of production.
- Fast containment and resolution: Identify nonconforming hardware quickly, prevent defective material from progressing, and provide clear technical information to drive resolution.
- High-quality inspection data: Produce accurate, repeatable inspection and test results that help Manufacturing and Engineering understand product and process performance.
- Effective defect investigation: Support root cause analysis by reproducing failures, collecting evidence, documenting findings, and partnering with engineers to determine corrective actions.
- Improved production quality: Identify recurring defects and opportunities for improvement, helping the Quality and Manufacturing teams reduce escapes, rework, scrap, and production disruptions.
Key Competencies
- Hands-on hardware expertise: Comfortable working directly with mechanical, electrical, and electromechanical assemblies and using tools to inspect, troubleshoot, and validate hardware.
- Strong quality fundamentals: Understands inspection, defect identification, containment, nonconformance, MRB, and basic root cause analysis.
- Technical attention to detail: Able to recognize subtle defects and deviations and accurately document what was observed, measured, and tested.
- Independent problem solving: Can take an ambiguous quality issue, investigate it methodically, and determine what information or testing is needed to move it forward.
- Production mindset: Understands that quality has to work at production speed and can balance thoroughness with urgency when the line is moving.
Minimum Requirements
- 3+ years of hands-on experience in quality, manufacturing, inspection, test, or engineering technician roles.
- Experience inspecting, testing, troubleshooting, or repairing mechanical, electrical, or electromechanical hardware in a production or laboratory environment.
- Ability to read and interpret mechanical drawings, specifications, work instructions, electrical schematics, and other technical documentation.
- Experience using inspection and test equipment such as calipers, micrometers, gauges, multimeters, torque tools, power supplies, or similar equipment.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to document defects and communicate technical findings clearly.
Preferred Skills
- Experience with robotics, automation, consumer electronics, automotive, aerospace, or other complex electromechanical products.
- Experience with incoming quality control (IQC), incoming inspection, supplier defects, or material disposition.
- Experience with rope, cable, tendon, textile, polymer, adhesive, or other flexible/mechanical materials.
- Experience inspecting or troubleshooting hands, end effectors, actuators, motors, sensors, or other robotic assemblies.
- Experience performing integration or final inspection on complex electromechanical systems.
- Familiarity with MRB, nonconformance reports, inspection plans, control plans, or quality management systems.
- Experience with root cause methodologies such as 5 Why, Fishbone, A3, or 8D.
- Experience using microscopes, optical inspection systems, CMMs, force gauges, torque measurement equipment, or other specialized inspection tools.
- Ability to work with basic data analysis tools and identify trends in inspection or production data.
What Does a Successful 1X Team Member Look Like?
Team members at 1X who thrive here are builders. They move fast, own their work completely, and treat time like it’s the one thing you can’t get back—because it is.
They say what they mean, finish what they start, and hold themselves to a standard before anyone has to ask. We push each other to be better, and we do it with honesty and respect.
For this role specifically, we’re looking for someone who is curious about hardware, comfortable getting their hands dirty, and willing to investigate a problem rather than simply flagging it. You don’t need to have every answer when you start, but you should know how to find the answer, communicate what you’ve learned, and take ownership of getting the problem resolved.
Compensation Range
$35.00 – $50.00/hour
Benefits
- Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
- Generous paid time off, company holidays, and parental leave
- 401(k) plan with company match (100% on the first 3% of contributions, 50% on the next 2%)
- Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) and Health Savings Accounts (HSA) options
- Commuter benefits (transit and parking)
- Short-term and long-term disability, and life insurance
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for mental health, financial, and personal support
- Onsite snacks and catered lunches
Equal Opportunity Employer
1X is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, marital status, medical condition, genetic information, disability, military or veteran status, justice system impact, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.
Pay: $35.00 – $50.00 per hour
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- Flexible spending account
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
Work Location: In person
Title: Quality Engineering Technician
Company: 1X Technologies
Location: San Carlos, CA
Category:
