Manager, Quality

About the role

The marine industry supports recreation, global commerce, and national defense, yet runs on technology that hasn't meaningfully changed in fifty years. Arc is on a mission to electrify the marine industry by rethinking powertrains, software, and vessel designs from first principles. The company has proven its technology with consumer products and is now scaling production while extending the platform to commercial applications — tugs, ferries, and defense — with years of signed contracts and a pipeline spanning every vessel type. This is a full-time, on-site role at Arc's Los Angeles headquarters. As Manager, Quality, you will own quality across Arc's products, factory, and supply base — leading the quality team, developing the Quality Management System, and partnering with Manufacturing, Engineering, Supply Chain, and Service to improve product quality from design through delivery.

Responsibilities

• Building and owning Arc's Quality Management System, including document control, non-conformance, corrective actions, and audits
• Leading and developing Arc's team of quality engineers and inspectors, setting clear standards and scaling the organization alongside production
• Defining and improving key quality metrics, including first-pass yield, defect escapes, rework, cost of poor quality, and supplier performance
• Driving root-cause investigations and corrective actions across Manufacturing, Engineering, Supply Chain, suppliers, and field issues
• Establishing inspection and acceptance strategies across incoming material, production processes, and completed vessels
• Building Arc's supplier-quality system, including qualification, first-article inspection, supplier scorecards, audits, and corrective actions
• Embedding quality upstream through PFMEAs, control plans, design reviews, production-readiness reviews, and new-product introduction
• Preparing Arc for the customer, regulatory, commercial, and defense quality requirements associated with future programs

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or a related field
• 6+ years in quality within a hardware manufacturing environment, including 2+ years directly managing a team
• Demonstrated experience building or substantially rebuilding a Quality Management System, not only operating inside one someone else created
• Working command of core quality methodology — root cause analysis, CAPA, PFMEA, control plans, SPC, or MSA
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, including GD&T
• Track record of driving cross-functional change in a production environment where quality competes with schedule
• Ability to work extended hours, weekends, and offsite as production demands

Qualifications

• Experience taking an organization through ISO 9001 certification, or equivalent experience with AS9100 or IATF 16949
• Background in composites — carbon fiber and fiberglass — or in high-voltage electrical systems
• Experience in marine, automotive, aerospace, or another regulated, safety-critical hardware industry
• Supplier quality experience, including on-site supplier development and audits
• Familiarity with quality management software and PLM/ERP systems
• ASQ certification (CQE, CQM/OE, or CQA)
• Comfortable pushing at a fast but sustainable pace
• Enthusiasm for boating and the water

Pay

Base salary: $165,000 annually. Highly competitive equity grants included with full-time offers. Semi-annual bonuses tied to impact, not just tenure.

Benefits

• Healthcare benefits — 99% employer-paid medical, dental, and vision
• Parental leave — 14 weeks fully paid for birthing and non-birthing parents
• Generous time off — Highly competitive PTO with an opportunity to earn more time with tenure
• Income protection — Life and disability insurance for all employees
• Retirement savings — Traditional and Roth 401(k) access
• Water fund — $500 per year to spend on getting out on the water
• Professional development — $500 annual reimbursement for professional development and a monthly AI stipend
• Safety Support — Annual reimbursement for PPE, ergonomic equipment, and anything that ensures crew safety
• Captain training — Training and access to take Arc boats out with friends and family
• Office perks — Daily lunches, snacks, and good coffee while onsite
• Relocation assistance — Available depending on role eligibility

Values

Arc values five things above all else: Ownership over both your work and the company's success; Empathy for colleagues and for customers; Humility in problem solving and collaboration; Pragmatism for navigating ambiguity quickly and sensibly; Inclusion of different backgrounds, opinions, cultures, and perspectives.