System Validation Engineering Manager

Who We Are:

Quest Global delivers world-class end-to-end engineering solutions by leveraging our deep industry knowledge and digital expertise. By bringing together technologies and industries, alongside the contributions of diverse individuals and their areas of expertise, we are able to solve problems better, faster. This multi-dimensional approach enables us to solve the most critical and large-scale challenges across the aerospace & defense, automotive, energy, hi-tech, healthcare, medical devices, rail and semiconductor industries.

We are looking for humble geniuses, who believe that engineering has the potential to make the impossible possible; innovators, who are not only inspired by technology and innovation, but also perpetually driven to design, develop, and test as a trusted partner for Fortune 500 customers. As a team of remarkably diverse engineers, we recognize that what we are really engineering is a brighter future for us all. If you want to contribute to meaningful work and be part of an organization that truly believes when you win, we all win, and when you fail, we all learn, then we’re eager to hear from you.

The achievers and courageous challenge-crushers we seek have the following characteristics and skills:

Summary

We are seeking an Engineering Manager to lead a multidisciplinary system validation engineering team supporting wearable products, with a focus on wearables and AI glasses. This leadership role combines people management, engineering delivery, capability development, and a close partnership with Client’s program and technical stakeholders.

You will translate product requirements and program priorities into team capacity, validation capabilities, and high-quality engineering outcomes. Working through Technical Leads and engineers, you will strengthen validation coverage, improve laboratory and automation infrastructure, and ensure that critical findings reach the right decision-makers.

You will provide a consolidated, product-focused view across workstreams, balancing competing priorities with sustainable workloads and long-term team development.

What you will do

Key responsibilities

1. Engineering planning and capability strategy

• Evaluate functional requirements documents (FRDs) across validation domains, distinguishing existing capabilities from new scope and estimating the effort required for test development, laboratory readiness, and execution.
• Own resource allocation and capacity forecasting across programs and workstreams. Match engineers to work based on skills, complexity, program priorities, and anticipated demand.
• Identify validation methodology, equipment, and expertise gaps for upcoming product generations; build capability and upskilling plans that address those gaps ahead of workload peaks.
• Provide feasibility and resourcing input to Client stakeholders and Technical Leads on program goals, validation strategy, test plans, and success criteria.

2. Validation quality, technical leadership, and risk

• Be accountable for engineering delivery quality across workstreams, working with Technical Leads to maintain rigorous execution, sound data analysis, and clear reporting.
• Review new test items, critical design changes, high-impact failures, and time-sensitive experiments. Help develop and refine critical reports, ensuring conclusions are supported by evidence and next steps are actionable.
• Coordinate with Client’s directly responsible individuals (DRIs) on fixture improvements, test methodology, and report structure; provide technical judgment without displacing their program decision authority.
• Drive improvements in validation coverage, including corner cases, stress conditions, and user-experience scenarios for existing and emerging requirements.
• Identify and escalate technical risks and delivery blockers with clear context and supporting evidence. Mobilize expertise for critical investigations and track mitigation actions through closure.
• Support review readiness and launch assessments by ensuring complete, current validation evidence is available to the stakeholders who own the review gates and ship decisions.

3. Laboratory infrastructure and engineering efficiency

• Own planning for laboratory expansion, equipment needs, and capital and operating expenditure. Develop investment proposals and manage approved spending, procurement dependencies, and readiness timelines in coordination with Client’s approval processes.
• Ensure Technical Leads can deliver laboratory bring-up, equipment correlation, fixture upgrades, and new station deployment with the resources and support they need.
• Set priorities for new equipment, test scripts, technical knowledge, and reusable validation capabilities; partner with Technical Leads on implementation.
• Drive continuous improvement through standardized workflows, reusable test assets, automation, and appropriate AI-assisted engineering workflows. Identify bottlenecks and measure improvements in execution efficiency and quality.

4. People leadership and technical talent development

• Lead hiring, technical selection in partnership with Technical Leads, onboarding, and progress tracking against role expectations and team needs.
• Own performance feedback, coaching, development planning, and role or workstream changes that improve delivery while supporting individual career growth.
• Build cross-skilling and mentorship programs that prepare engineers for emerging technologies, reduce workstream silos, and create flexible team capacity.
• Develop Technical Leads and senior individual contributors in technical leadership, cross-functional influence, decision-making, and communication tailored to engineers, partners, and executives.
• Balance workloads, address recurring pressure on key contributors, and strengthen engineer independence through training and knowledge transfer. Foster an inclusive, collaborative team culture that supports engagement and retention.

5. Stakeholder partnership and communication

• Serve as the consolidated vendor-side engineering point of contact across workstreams, communicating delivery status, capacity constraints, critical risks, and improvement opportunities to Client stakeholders.
• Lead program and leadership presentations that connect detailed validation findings to the broader product outcome, with Technical Leads supplying domain-specific depth.
• Partner with Client DRIs, technical program managers, and cross-functional teams to unblock engineers and address dependencies, while respecting Client’s ownership of cross-functional alignment and program priorities.
• Maintain a healthy two-way partnership through regular stakeholder engagement and feedback. Provide a balanced view of team contributions, competing demands, and issues requiring leadership attention.

6. Vendor operations and delivery continuity

• Track service-level agreements (SLAs), delivery and quality key performance indicators (KPIs), and utilization. Lead quarterly business reviews (QBRs) covering delivery outcomes, team health, capacity, and improvement plans.
• Plan knowledge transfer, team transitions, and continuity arrangements; ensure Technical Leads execute effective handovers and reduce dependence on individual experts.
• Be accountable for the team’s adherence to applicable Client security and data-handling policies, and drive improvements in delivery processes and operating discipline.

What You Will Bring:

•  Masters Degree with 6-10 years of experience and background in any of Optical imaging or electrical engineering or AR/VR systems or a related field, with substantial relevant industry experience in consumer electronics devices design and development.
• Experience managing engineering teams that deliver hardware, system validation, or comparable multidisciplinary product engineering outcomes.
• A strong foundation in validation engineering, including requirements assessment, test planning, laboratory methods, data interpretation, and defect investigation.
• Demonstrated ability to plan capacity, allocate engineers across competing priorities, and build technical capabilities for evolving product requirements.
• Experience hiring, onboarding, managing performance, coaching engineers, and developing technical leaders.
• Ability to review technical findings critically, communicate risk clearly, and influence stakeholders across organizational boundaries.
• Experience managing laboratory resources, equipment investments, or engineering delivery operations.
• A degree in electrical, electronics, mechanical, computer, or another relevant engineering discipline, or equivalent practical experience.

Preferred qualifications

•  Experience with wearable devices, AI glasses, augmented reality, or other compact consumer electronics.
• Relevant expertise in one or more validation domains, such as camera and imaging, display and optical metrology, thermal performance, batteries, connectivity, input/output, or accessories.
• Experience building test automation, reusable engineering workflows, or AI-assisted validation capabilities.
• Experience leading distributed or vendor engineering teams, managing stakeholder relationships, and presenting delivery metrics in business reviews.
• Familiarity with experimental design, equipment correlation, and extending validation to emerging AI-enabled user experiences.

What success looks like

• Predictable, high-quality validation delivery with clear reporting and timely risk escalation.
• Team capacity and capabilities prepared for upcoming product requirements.
• Stronger validation coverage and measurable improvements in laboratory and execution efficiency.
• Effective Technical Leads, growing engineers, balanced workloads, and resilient knowledge coverage.
• A trusted stakeholder partnership supported by transparent delivery metrics and business reviews.

Pay Range: $145,000 - $165,000

Compensation decisions are made based on factors including experience, skills, education, and other job-related factors, in accordance with our internal pay structure. We also offer a comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance, paid time off, and retirement plan.

Work Requirements:

This role is considered an on-site position located in Sunnyvale, CA

You must be able to commute to and from the location with your own transportation arrangements to meet the required working hours.  

Benefits

• 401(k)

• 401(k) matching 

• Dental insurance

• Health insurance

• Life insurance

• Paid time off

• Referral program

• Vision insurance

• Short/Long Term Disability