Hardware Quality Engineer

Overview

Reports to: Director of Manufacturing Operations & Quality
Location: Onsite in Littleton, CO

About Emporia Energy

Emporia is a leading technology company revolutionizing home energy by providing affordable, integrated solutions that empower homeowners to optimize energy usage to reduce costs and carbon footprint. Emporia’s Home Energy Management Platform connects Vue Home Energy Monitor, Level 2 EV Charger, Smart Plugs, Home Battery, and third-party thermostats and appliances. By automating energy use through real-time monitoring and scheduling, the platform optimizes consumption, reduces costs, and simplifies home energy management—all within one intuitive app. We are launching a national Third-Party Owned (TPO) home battery Virtual Power Plant to deliver power redundancy, utility cost savings, and grid peak demand services. For more information, visit emporiaenergy.com.

Mission, Vision and Values

Emporia was founded in 2018 with a purpose to revolutionize home energy, generate tangible customer savings, and accelerate the transition to a lower carbon future. We aim to become the world\'s leading home energy management platform and build the largest virtual power plant.

• Customers First: We deliver exceptional service with empathy and responsiveness, building lasting trust in every interaction.
• Own the Outcome: We think like owners, taking responsibility for results and accountability.
• Win Together: We succeed together through honesty, humility and humanity.
• Grit Gets it Done: We work hard, stay passionate, and persevere through challenges.
• Better Every Day: We challenge the status quo, take smart risks and aim to improve 1% every day.

Role Overview

Emporia Energy is seeking an experienced and self-directed Hardware Quality Engineer for a hands-on, individual contributor role focused on operational execution across our hardware product portfolio. This position is the primary point of contact for communications and continuous improvement processes with contract manufacturers (CMs). You will operate with autonomy to drive meaningful outcomes and ensure products are manufactured to specification. The ideal candidate brings deep experience with consumer electronics contract manufacturing—especially with overseas partners—and will work cross-functionally with Engineering, Operations, and Compliance to maintain supply continuity and oversee quality standards with external partners.

Core Responsibilities & Coordination

The core of this role is to serve as the central hub for coordination and quality oversight with Emporia\'s external partners and internal team. You will perform the following execution-focused tasks:

Quality & Compliance

• Lead and execute CM factory audits and product quality audits; develop corrective action plans and track resolution to closure.
• Own Emporia’s RMA and warranty process from end to end—analyze return data, identify systemic failure modes, work with Engineering and the CM to implement corrective actions, and report trends to leadership.
• Partner with Emporia\'s compliance team to ensure all products and contract manufacturing facilities meet UL and other applicable regulatory standards; manage compliance audit schedules and remediation activities.
• Review technical production drawings, BOMs, data sheets, and manufacturing documentation for accuracy, completeness, and consistency prior to production release.

Supplier Performance & Supply Chain

• Conduct structured supplier performance reviews and evaluations; maintain supplier scorecards, manage clear quality metrics, and drive continuous improvement across the supply base to ensure supplier-originated issues are properly attributed and resolved.
• Work with Engineering and Planning to assess impact of product changes on the supply chain, including component phase-in/phase-out planning and E&O risk management.

Process Development & PDLC

• Identify gaps in existing operational processes and independently design and implement improvements; proactively surface issues and solutions without waiting to be directed.
• Create and maintain quality and supply chain reporting for leadership, including supplier scorecards, warranty trend reports, audit findings, and supply risk summaries.
• As a startup, this role requires flexibility and a “wear many hats” mindset—this description does not capture all assignments.

Required Qualifications

• BS or higher in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing & Operations Engineering, Supply Chain, or equivalent experience.
• 5+ years of experience in quality, supply chain, or operations roles within the consumer electronics industry or similarly regulated environments.
• Self-directed and highly autonomous—able to establish priorities, create structure, and drive results without requiring close oversight.
• Exceptional written and verbal communicator who leads with the bottom line — able to distill complex quality and supply chain issues into clear, concise takeaways for cross-functional teams and senior leadership.
• Demonstrated experience owning factory and product audits, supplier performance programs, and quality management systems (QMS) in a contract manufacturing environment.
• Direct experience working with international contract manufacturers and ODM/JDM partners.
• Familiarity with UL certification processes and factory compliance requirements.
• Experience with RMA/warranty analysis and driving systematic corrective actions.
• Comfort working with PLM systems for BOM, ECO, and change management (e.g., Arena or equivalent).
• Experienced with Google Workspace, Jira, and Confluence.
• Ability to travel internationally to contract manufacturing partners and suppliers, up to approximately 25% of the time.
• AI-native working style: comfortable using AI tools to accelerate product research, ingest and synthesize data across multiple platforms and systems, and draft requirements and documentation.

What We Offer

Compensation : The expected base salary range is $120,000 - $140,000, plus stock options. The offered salary will depend on factors including work experience, skills, and internal equity considerations. The base salary does not include benefits or other incentives.

Benefits : medical/dental/vision insurance, 401(k), employee stock option program, paid holidays plus unlimited PTO, discounts on Emporia products and partner offerings.

Career Growth : Be part of a fast-growing company at the forefront of home energy innovation.

Emporia Energy is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, age, disability, gender identity, results of genetic testing, service in the military, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws. We will make reasonable accommodations for any qualified applicant with a disability, provided that the individual is otherwise qualified to safely perform the essential functions of the job with or without accommodation and that the accommodation would not impose an undue hardship on the operation of our business. Please let us know if you believe you require reasonable accommodation, or if you would like assistance to complete an application or to participate in an interview at the company.