Hardware Quality Engineer
- London
- £50,000-62,000 per year
- Permanent
- Full-time
: £50,000- £62,000 : 8% performance-based, discretionary : Hybrid - work in our London office a minimum of 2x/wkAt Automata, to transform how scientists work by making automation accessible to every lab in the world. We believe that by giving labs the power to automate, we can unlock discoveries that will shape the future of life sciences-from diagnostics and drug discovery to synthetic biology.But we're more than just a company disrupting the industry-we're a team of innovators, problem-solvers, and creators passionate about empowering scientists. Our platform combines hardware and software to streamline workflows, making lab automation fast, flexible, and affordable. This means our customers can focus on groundbreaking research, while we take care of the rest.Why Work at Automata?
- Impact: Your work will directly contribute to advancements in science and medicine, supporting labs around the globe as they push boundaries in research and innovation.
- Innovation: You'll be part of a team solving complex problems (seriously, no one else has figured out how to do this yet), using cutting-edge technology (we have robots).
- Growth:
(golf on a Thursday, Soccer once a month, movie nights whenever we fancy it).We are looking for a Hardware Quality Engineer whose mission is to be the driving force behind quality across all our hardware products, ensuring they meet the highest standards of safety, reliability, and compliance. You will take ownership of inspection, auditing, and continuous improvement processes, working closely with suppliers, internal teams, and customers to identify and resolve issues before they impact performance. By embedding robust quality practices into every stage of the product lifecycle, you will play a critical role in ensuring the success of our Automata LINQ Bench system and supporting hardware, enabling scientists to trust our solutions in their most important work.Why is the role important for Automata?Hardware quality is critical to delivering safe, compliant, and reliable products to our life sciences customers, where even small defects can have a significant impact on research outcomes. At Automata, our reputation depends on every product leaving our doors performing flawlessly in demanding, high-stakes environments. This role ensures that quality is built into every stage of the product lifecycle, from supplier engagement to customer delivery, so our customers can focus on their science with complete confidence in our hardware.In this role you will be responsible for:
- Carry out hands-on hardware goods-in inspections for electrical and mechanical components, using appropriate measuring tools and visual inspection methods to verify quality.
- Define and maintain inspection criteria for both internal checks and external supplier FATs, ensuring they are practical, measurable, and traceable.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with suppliers, personally engaging in technical vetting and follow-up on non-conformances.
- Lead and facilitate quality and ECR meetings, ensuring actions are tracked and closed.
- Directly perform root cause analysis of quality issues, working with engineers and suppliers to develop and implement corrective and preventative actions (CAPA).
- Drive ISO 9001 preparation, including performing internal audits and maintaining quality documentation.
- Identify, test, and implement process improvements that strengthen traceability, compliance, and operational efficiency.
- Provide proactive, practical support to the Hardware and Customer Success teams to ensure development and issue resolution follow ISO 9001-aligned processes.
- Physically inspect, document, and process feedback from the field, working closely with Customer Success to triage issues, track post-launch problems, and trigger ECRs when necessary.
- Degree or HND in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related discipline. Or equivalent industry experience in a hardware quality, manufacturing, or NPI role.
- Proven experience in manufacturing quality, production support, or NPI engineering.
- Comfortable working with both suppliers and internal teams to resolve issues.
- Familiarity with ISO 9001 and hardware-focused quality management systems.
- Strong problem-solving mindset, with practical experience in root cause analysis and CAPA.
- Excellent communication and documentation skills
- Experience with life sciences or regulated industry products.
- Knowledge of FMEA, PPAP, or other advanced quality tools.
- Familiarity with electrical and mechanical inspection methods.
- Experience conducting or preparing for external audits.
- Quality management certification (e.g. Six Sigma, ISO 9001 Auditor)
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