Associate Director, R&D Quality Engineering
About the job
- A bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Quality Engineering, or a closely related technical field, or equivalent experience.
- At least 12 years of progressive quality engineering experience in complex hardware environments, including at least 5 years leading quality teams through new product introduction, prototype, or low-volume production phases.
- Demonstrated mastery of structured problem solving such as 8D, DMAIC, or equivalent, with a track record of driving cross-functional root cause investigations to verified closure.
- Deep working knowledge of geometric dimensioning and tolerancing, measurement systems analysis, process capability, first-article inspection, and process validation.
- Experience building supplier quality programs, including supplier qualification, source inspection, and corrective action management.
- Hands-on experience with quality data systems, traceability and genealogy, and manufacturing execution system-based defect management.
- Judgment to right-size quality rigor for an R&D environment and hold the line where it matters.
- Strong executive communication and the ability to present quality risk to senior leadership with data and a recommendation.
- Eligibility to work in the United States.
- Define and execute a quality strategy for prototype-to-production environments, using controls that scale with build rate and design maturity.
- Establish quality gates across subassembly, integration, and end-of-line build stages, with acceptance criteria that evolve with the product.
- Own the escape metric, track and Pareto it, and drive reduction through systemic fixes rather than added inspection.
- Advise leadership on quality risk in rate decisions, including when to hold, conditionally release, and determine what the data supports.
- Own the 8D program, including containment, verified root cause, and corrective actions with owners, dates, and effectiveness checks.
- Enforce problem decomposition across occurrence, detection, and systemic causes.
- Prioritize investigations using Pareto analysis of the top issues.
- Lead cross-functional investigation teams through ambiguous, first-of-kind failures and teach the organization the investigation method.
- Own first-article and process validation for critical purchased parts and qualify new and dual-source suppliers using capability evidence.
- Deploy batch-release and source-inspection strategies for at-risk suppliers, including on-site capability development.
- Drive supplier corrective actions to verified closure and feed supplier performance data into sourcing decisions.
- Partner with Supply Chain on incoming inspection strategy for high-risk parts.
- Own serial and revision traceability across builds, including genealogy identifying robots with suspect parts.
- Build and maintain defect capture, disposition, and analytics workflows using MES/Tulip.
- Establish process validation standards for new manufacturing and repair processes, scaled to volume and risk.
- Provide the single source of truth on quality status in program reviews and executive forums.
- Build, develop, and retain a quality engineering team suited for R&D.
- Coach engineering and operations teams on 8D, process validation, and measurement systems.
- Set the cultural tone that quality engineering enables organization-wide quality.
- Own supplier quality, manufacturing and build quality, failure analysis and corrective action, and quality systems and data across Prototype Operations.
- Experience in robotics, aerospace, automotive, medical device, or similarly demanding electromechanical hardware environments.
- Experience scaling quality systems through rapid rate ramps from prototype through pilot production.
- ASQ certification such as CQE or CMQ/OE, Six Sigma Black Belt, or equivalent formal training.
- Familiarity with reliability engineering methods including FMEA, DOE, and test-to-failure, and their interface with quality.
- Experience with regulated or standards-based quality systems such as ISO 9001 and AS9100, with judgment to apply their intent without unnecessary overhead.
About the company
Boston Dynamics designs and sells advanced legged robots to improve safety and efficiency in industrial and research settings. Its products, such as Spot and Pick, use onboard AI to perceive the environment, balance and navigate complex terrain, and autonomously avoid obstacles, enabling tasks that are dangerous or physically demanding for people. Spot is a mobile, 65-pound robot that can traverse stairs, uneven surfaces, and rough terrain, while Pick focuses on manipulation for robotics workflows. The company differentiates itself through its focus on mobility, dexterity, and safety, maintaining US-made production, and offering controlled sales plus ongoing maintenance, training, and support to commercial, industrial, and academic clients rather than consumer buyers. The goal is to augment human workers by handling risky or monotonous tasks, increasing safety and productivity across industries.
Company Size
1,001-5,000
Company Stage
Acquired
Total Funding
$1.2B
Headquarters
Waltham, Massachusetts
Founded
1992
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Hyundai opened RMAC Sept. 21, 2026; Atlas training starts in real plants.
- Hyundai plans 25,000 Atlas units and a U.S. factory for 30,000 yearly.
- ICE ordered up to $2 million of Spot robots on Aug. 31, 2026.
What critics are saying
- Reuters said Sept. 14, 2026, Boston Dynamics still misses IPO readiness and profits.
- Hyundai Glovis disclosed 2025 losses of 528.4 billion won; cumulative losses hit 1.7 trillion.
- If Hyundai cancels Atlas scaling before 2028, Boston Dynamics becomes a subsidized R&D shop.
What makes Boston Dynamics unique
- Atlas's four-finger hand launched Oct. 2, 2026, targets industrial tool use.
- RMAC at Hyundai Georgia links real factory data to Sim-to-Real retraining.
- Spot and Stretch already sell into industrial inspections and warehouse logistics.
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Benefits
Remote Work Options
Flexible Work Hours
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
2%1 year growth
0%2 year growth
0%Boston Dynamics appoints former Amazon executive Rohit Prasad as CEO. Prasad brings 12 years of experience at Amazon, where he helped build and expand Alexa, after earlier machine-learning research at Raytheon. By bloomberg. Updated - October 07, 2026 at 09:13 AM. Rohit Prasad Boston Dynamics appointed former Amazon.com Inc. executive Rohit Prasad as chief executive officer to lead the Hyundai Motor Co.-controlled company into its next era of innovation and commercialization of its robots. Boston Dynamics, known for its agile humanoid robots, is currently developing robotic systems for industrial and other real-world environments, an area called physical AI. Hyundai, which acquired majority ownership of Boston Dynamics in 2021, said earlier this year it plans to deploy the unit's Atlas robot at its plant in Georgia starting in 2028 and build the capacity to produce as many as 30,000 humanoids annually. Prasad spent 12 years at Amazon helping build and expand smart assistant Alexa. Before joining Amazon, he worked 14 years at Raytheon BBN Technologies overseeing machine-learning research and real-world applications for US government and commercial use, Boston Dynamics said Tuesday in a statement. THIS AD SUPPORTS OUR JOURNALISM. SUBSCRIBE FOR MINIMAL ADS.
Boston Dynamics has appointed Rohit Prasad, a former Amazon executive, as its new chief executive officer. Prasad will lead the Hyundai Motor-controlled robotics company as it focuses on innovation and commercialising its robots. The leadership change marks a significant transition for Boston Dynamics, which is known for its advanced robotics technology. Prasad brings his experience from Amazon to guide the company's next phase of development and market expansion.
Boston Dynamics appoints Rohit Prasad as Chief Executive Officer. Business Wire Published Oct 06, 2026 * AI pioneer Rohit Prasad to lead Boston Dynamics' next era of Physical AI innovation and commercialization * Former Amazon AI leader who built and scaled the category-creating AI assistant, Alexa, and created the Amazon Nova foundation model family * Positions the company to accelerate the integration of AI and robotics and expand real-world Physical AI applications across industries Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. BOSTON - Boston Dynamics today announced the appointment of Rohit Prasad as Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective October 7, 2026. Top Stories Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Boston Dynamics is developing intelligent robotic systems for industrial, enterprise, and other real-world environments. Physical AI will unlock a new level of autonomy, adaptability, and productivity across a wide range of applications. Prasad's appointment accelerates Boston Dynamics' Physical AI strategy by combining world-class robotics with advanced AI capabilities to commercialize intelligent machines at scale. Prasad brings decades of experience turning breakthrough AI technologies into category-defining products and global businesses. Prior to joining Boston Dynamics, Prasad served as Senior Vice President and Head Scientist for Alexa and Artificial General Intelligence at Amazon. During his 12 years at Amazon, he was instrumental in building Alexa from its earliest days into a pioneering large-scale consumer AI service used in hundreds of millions of households worldwide. More recently, he led the development of the Amazon Nova foundation model family used by enterprises. Before Amazon, Prasad spent nearly 14 years at Raytheon BBN Technologies, leading machine-learning research and its real-world application for U.S. government and commercial use. Based in the Boston area for over 25 years, Prasad has deep ties to one of the world's leading robotics and AI ecosystems through his professional experience, academic affiliations, and longstanding engagement with the region's technical and business community. These relationships strengthen Boston Dynamics' ability to attract top talent, deepen technology collaborations, and accelerate innovation. At Boston Dynamics, Prasad will bring his experience turning Physical AI breakthroughs into commercial success by productizing intelligent robotic systems that improve safety, productivity, and operational efficiency across real-world industrial and commercial environments. Subject to the relevant approval process, Prasad is also expected to join the company's Board of Directors. "Boston Dynamics is uniquely positioned to advance Physical AI through its world-class robotics expertise. I am honored to join the company at such a pivotal moment for the industry. By bringing together advanced AI and robotics, we can build intelligent systems that create meaningful value in real-world environments, expand the reach of robotics across industries, and shape the next era of Physical AI," said Rohit Prasad. Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. "Boston Dynamics' industry-leading robotics, Rohit's proven ability to turn AI into products at global scale, and Hyundai Motor Group's modern manufacturing, logistics, and mobility capabilities give us a powerful foundation to build and scale Physical AI. We are thrilled to welcome Rohit to lead the company into this exciting new era of real-world Physical AI," said Jaehoon Chang, Vice Chair, Hyundai Motor Group, and Chair of the Board of Directors at Boston Dynamics.About Boston Dynamics Boston Dynamics is the global leader in AI-enabled mobile robots that tackle the toughest industrial and safety challenges. Our robots are equipped with advanced mobility, dexterity and intelligence, enabling automation in unstructured, unsafe or hard-to-traverse spaces. We have three robots in our portfolio: Spot(R), a quadruped that conducts industrial inspections, manages facility performance data and keeps people out of harm's way; Stretch(R), a box-moving robot for logistics and retail customers; and Atlas(R), our electric humanoid platform currently in development. For more information on our company and our technologies, please visit www.bostondynamics.com. View source version on businesswire.com: Media Contacts This advertisement has not loaded yet.
Boston Dynamics gives Atlas humanoid new four-finger hand for complex industrial tasks. Published: Oct. 2, 2026 - 13:15:00 Jung Young-seon Boston Dynamics, the robotics arm of Hyundai Motor Group, unveiled a robot hand with four fingers on Thursday. The hand was developed to help its humanoid robot Atlas perform continuous and complex tasks. Humanoid robots are expected to work in spaces and use tools designed for humans, making versatility and flexibility important. Robotic hands are a key component in the capability. The new hand has 13 degrees of freedom across four fingers, with four in the thumb and three in each of the other fingers. Pressure-based tactile sensors on the fingertips and palm detect subtle changes in contact force, allowing the hand to adjust finger movements and grip strength based on an object's shape, material and contact conditions. In a video released by Boston Dynamics, Atlas inserted a drill bit into a drill, pressed the trigger and drilled a hole in wood. It also tightened a small nut by rotating it between its fingers, spun a thin drumstick and simultaneously manipulated two golf balls in its hand. The four-finger design was developed based on industrial applications, considering design complexity, power consumption, cost efficiency, durability and maintenance. The hand is roughly human-sized, with modular components and a simplified structure. "We tested various designs, including the number of thumbs and whether a pinky was necessary, through experiments, simulations and 3D-printed mockups," said Alberto Rodriguez, head of Atlas behavior manipulation technology at Boston Dynamics. Boston Dynamics also used a Sim-to-Real approach, training the robot in virtual environments before applying the results to a physical machine. The simulations incorporated hardware characteristics and friction while varying motor torque, object shapes and external disturbances for reinforcement learning. The company recently opened the Robotics Metaplant Application Center, which replicates Hyundai Motor Group's manufacturing environment. The center will collect Atlas' manufacturing data and validate its learning through data collection, training, field application, feedback and retraining. [email protected]
Boston Dynamics begins Atlas humanoid testing at Hyundai's Georgia plant! Sunday 27 September 2026, 7:57:10 AM Boston Dynamics has begun testing its Atlas humanoid robots at Hyundai Motor Group's electric vehicle manufacturing facility in Georgia, establishing a robotics test and training centre aimed at developing applications for humanoid robots across automotive production. The facility is expected to support the gradual integration of Atlas into Hyundai's manufacturing operations, with component assembly trials planned by 2030. The Robotics Metaplant Application Centre, located near Savannah, Georgia, began pilot operations in June and has now moved into full operations. The centre is intended to serve as a test bed where Atlas robots can be trained and evaluated for manufacturing tasks before potential deployment across Hyundai's global production network. Boston Dynamics is using the facility to develop applications involving repetitive parts sequencing and heavy-lifting activities. These tasks are among the potential applications for humanoid robots in automotive factories, where robots could be used to handle physically demanding or repetitive operations while working alongside existing automated production systems. The development follows Hyundai Motor Group's acquisition of Boston Dynamics. The robotics company became a wholly owned subsidiary of Hyundai in July, bringing its humanoid, mobile and quadruped robotics technologies further into the automaker's manufacturing and technology strategy. Hyundai initially plans to deploy as many as 25,000 Atlas units across its global manufacturing network, including Kia production facilities. The company has also announced plans for a US-based production facility capable of manufacturing up to 30,000 robots annually, indicating an ambition to develop domestic manufacturing capacity alongside deployment. The Georgia robotics centre will play an important role in preparing Atlas for automotive manufacturing applications. Training humanoid robots for industrial environments requires the systems to understand and repeat physical tasks while responding to variations in parts, equipment and production conditions. Testing in an operating manufacturing environment can provide data needed to refine these capabilities. Component assembly trials are currently planned to begin by 2030. Before that stage, Boston Dynamics and Hyundai are expected to use the centre to develop, test and validate applications involving material handling, sequencing and other manufacturing activities. The company's plans for Atlas extend beyond automotive manufacturing. Boston Dynamics is exploring potential applications for the humanoid platform in aerospace, semiconductor manufacturing, logistics, food and beverage and life sciences. The company also plans to work with existing customers using its Spot quadruped and Stretch mobile robotic systems to expand data collection and develop additional training opportunities for Atlas. The robotics centre is also set to expand significantly. Boston Dynamics plans to move into a new building at Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America, increasing the size of the test and training facility to approximately 10 times its current footprint. The larger site is expected to provide additional capacity for robot testing, training and application development. Zack Jackowski, Chief Product and Technology Officer at Boston Dynamics, said the centre reflects the companies' shared objective of developing robotics systems that can improve workplace safety and productivity. The expansion of Atlas testing comes as automotive manufacturers increasingly investigate humanoid robotics for factory applications. Toyota Group, for example, is also pursuing large-scale robotics deployment across its factories and supplier network, reflecting broader interest in using advanced robotics to automate repetitive and physically demanding manufacturing activities. For Hyundai and Boston Dynamics, the Georgia facility provides a practical environment for moving Atlas from robotics development toward industrial deployment. The combination of dedicated testing, manufacturing integration and planned robot production capacity positions the facility as an important part of Hyundai's broader strategy to introduce humanoid robotics into future manufacturing operations.