--- title: 'Head of QA at RIVR' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/head-of-qa-rivr-zurich-g0ewwjh70nk0' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-09-07' --- # Head of QA at RIVR - **Company:** RIVR - **Location:** Zurich, Switzerland - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-07 - **Apply:** https://jobs.lever.co/rivr/86652fc8-d9a6-4e48-8986-7317ef835c71 ## Job description RIVR, part of Amazon is a robotics company pioneering Physical AI through real-world doorstep delivery. Founded in 2024 as an ETH Zurich spin-off, RIVR developed wheeled-legged robots designed to operate in complex, unstructured environments such as stairs, gates, doors, and uneven urban terrain. We believe that achieving general physical intelligence requires solving real customer problems in the real world, where robots can learn from rich operational data at scale. Following our acquisition by Amazon in March 2026, we are continuing this mission with greater reach and speed. By combining custom robot hardware, onboard autonomy, and cloud-based coordination, RIVR, part of Amazon is building the next generation of safe, reliable autonomous robots for last-mile delivery Job Description We are looking for a Head of QA to build our Quality Assurance and Verification department from the ground up. In this role, you will break down existing departmental silos (Hardware, Software, and AI) to establish a unified, company-wide System-level Quality Gate. Inspired by best practices from autonomous vehicles and robotics, this role will establish a scalable quality workflow that validates all hardware and software changes before they reach deployed fleets. Operating in parallel to Software and Hardware Engineering, the Head of QA will work closely with developers to embed quality early in the development lifecycle, balancing rigorous validation with rapid product iteration. Over time, the organization will expand automation capabilities across software-in-the-loop, hardware-in-the-loop, and real-world operational testing to ensure reliability, safety, and performance at fleet scale. ## What you’ll be doing - Build and lead Amazon RIVR’s end-to-end QA organization across the full System, Autonomy, Hardware, and Operations from "A to Z". - Define and implement a scalable quality strategy for robotics fleets inspired by autonomous vehicles and robotics best practices. - Establish a unified validation workflow to break down silos and transition from engineer-led testing to a centralized, automated pipeline. - Partner closely with Software and Hardware Engineering to embed quality early in the development lifecycle, acting as a technical partner rather than a corporate gatekeeper. - Architect and scale a Hardware-in-the-Loop (HiL) farm to automate the testing of complex mechatronic variables. - Develop automated testing frameworks across Software-in-the-Loop (SiL), Hardware-in-the-Loop (HiL), and real-world testing. - Take ownership of safety governance and establish high-velocity pipelines (e.g., 14-day fixes) for critical field safety reports. - Define quality KPIs, release criteria, and reliability targets at robot and fleet scale. - Oversee field quality, maintenance feedback loops, and operational performance monitoring. - Drive root-cause analysis and continuous improvement across hardware and software failures. - Scale QA infrastructure, tooling, and team processes to support the target of manufacturing up to two million robots. ## What you must have - Pioneer Leadership experience: 10+ years leading QA or Validation teams with a proven track record of building departments in high-growth environments. - Proven experience leading QA or Validation teams in robotics, autonomous vehicles, automotive, or other safety-critical systems. - Track record of building scalable quality processes for both hardware and software products. - Deep understanding of validation methodologies across SiL, HiL, and real-world testing. - Strong mechatronic and systems engineering mindset with the ability to bridge Hardware, Firmware, and AI/ML Autonomy. - Hands-on mastery of automation frameworks, test infrastructure (e.g., dSPACE), and regression pipelines. - Ability to work cross-functionally with Software, Hardware, and Product teams in fast iteration cycles. - Experience with safety, compliance (e.g., UL2, ISO 26262), and field reliability feedback loops. - Comfortable operating in high-growth startup environments with evolving processes and products Get some bonus points - Experience in autonomous driving, mobile robotics, or last-mile delivery robots. - Advanced degree (MSc/PhD) from top-tier engineering institutions. - Experience validating AI/ML or Vision-Language-Action (VLA) autonomy systems. - Background in simulation environments and large-scale scenario testing. - Experience scaling QA organizations from R&D prototypes to high-volume mass deployment. - Knowledge of regulatory certification processes for robots operating in public spaces. - Familiarity with MLOps pipelines and continuous integration for robotics. ## About RIVR ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: RIVR builds autonomous wheeled-legged robots powered by Physical AI to automate doorstep delivery, from the street to the door. - **Entity Type**: Private (acquired by Amazon in March 2026; previously venture-backed with $29M total funding) - **Headquarters**: Zurich, Switzerland - **Founded**: 2023 (originally as Swiss-Mile, rebranded to RIVR) - **Founders**: Marko Bjelonic (CEO), Lorenz Wellhausen (CTO Software), Giorgio Valsecchi (CTO Hardware), Alexander Reske (COO) ## Core Business - **Primary industry**: Robotics Engineering / Physical AI for last-mile delivery - **Target customers**: B2B – logistics providers, e‑commerce companies, grocery delivery services (e.g., Swiss Post, Migros Online) - **Mission**: “Pioneering Physical AI to revolutionize doorstep delivery” – combining neural networks with wheeled‑leg robots to master the last 100 yards of delivery. ## Products & Services - **RIVR ONE**: A wheeled‑legged delivery robot that climbs stairs, steps over curbs, opens gates, and carries multiple parcels/groceries securely. Equipped with cameras, LiDAR, and a robotic arm for dexterous manipulation. - **Physical AI Platform**: Reinforcement learning (simulated data + parallel GPU training) and supervised/imitation learning (real‑world data) that enable autonomous navigation and manipulation. A data flywheel collects teleoperation feedback to continuously improve autonomy. - **Global Operations Software**: Cloud infrastructure for fleet management, including 24/7 remote assistance and API integration for custom deployments. ## Market Standing - **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not disclosed (acquired by Amazon; prior valuation unknown) - **Key Metric**: Total funding raised – $29M (Seed round led by Bezos Expeditions and HSG, plus grants from Innosuisse) - **Notable Investors/Partners**: Bezos Expeditions, HSG, Innosuisse; pilot partners include Swiss Post and Migros Online - **Growth Signals**: Acquired by Amazon in March 2026; already has customers requiring “tens of thousands of robots”; workforce of 48 employees with 12.2% monthly headcount growth; 19 active job postings as of mid‑2026 ## Competitive Advantages - **Wheeled‑leg design** offers 5× battery life and speed, and 10× coverage of traditional legged robots, while still climbing stairs and navigating uneven terrain. - **Data flywheel**: Each deployed robot generates real‑world data that feeds supervised and imitation learning, creating a self‑reinforcing improvement loop. RIVR claims it will generate more daily data than YouTube within four years. - **Full‑stack approach**: Proprietary learning algorithms, simulation environments, and hardware co‑design allow tight integration between AI and embodiment. - **Amazon backing**: Post‑acquisition, RIVR gains access to Amazon’s logistics network, resources, and scale, accelerating deployment. ## Strategic Focus - **General Physical AI**: RIVR’s long‑term vision is to build a general‑purpose Physical AI that can handle diverse real‑world tasks, using doorstep delivery as the initial catalyst. - **Scaling deployment**: Moving from pilot (Swiss Post/Migros) to mass production and global rollout, leveraging Amazon’s infrastructure. - **Talent acquisition**: Actively hiring senior AI engineers (reinforcement learning, imitation learning, VLA foundation models), hardware engineers, and robotics software specialists to grow the technical team. ## Why Work Here - **Cutting‑edge technology**: Work on Physical AI, reinforcement learning, and advanced robotics at the intersection of software and hardware. - **Zurich location**: Office and development lab in the heart of Zürich; relocation bonus offered. - **Compensation & perks**: Competitive, transparent salary; Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP); annual performance‑based bonus; five weeks of vacation. - **Team & culture**: Work alongside top engineers from ETH Zurich, Amazon, Meta, and leading robotics labs. Flat hierarchy with a strong technical focus. - **Remote/hybrid policy**: On‑site presence expected (all current job postings are “On‑site – Full”); the robotics lab requires physical presence. - **Growth opportunity**: Being part of an Amazon‑owned company provides stability and resources while still operating with a startup‑like engineering intensity. ## Sources 1. [rivr.ai/careers](https://www.rivr.ai/careers) 2. [rivr.ai/about-rivr](https://www.rivr.ai/about-rivr) 3. [linkedin.com/company/rivr-technologies](https://linkedin.com/company/rivr-technologies) 4. [jobs.lever.co/rivr](https://jobs.lever.co/rivr) 5. [rivr.ai/technology](https://www.rivr.ai/technology) ## Other roles at RIVR - [Robotics Trade Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/robotics-trade-manager-rivr-zurich-d74taspy2ntw) — Zurich, Switzerland - [Hardware Engineering Intern](https://feeny.ai/job/hardware-engineering-intern-rivr-zurich-ebsfbd6aa885) — Zurich, Switzerland - [(Senior) Quality Assurance Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-quality-assurance-engineer-rivr-shanghai-6906w6grj552) — Shanghai, China - [Mechanical Engineer (Junior)](https://feeny.ai/job/mechanical-engineer-junior-rivr-zurich-7yj19pqvm17s) — Zurich, Switzerland - [Senior Software Engineer – Backend](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-software-engineer-backend-rivr-zurich-rh4k76q18at1) — Zurich, Switzerland - [Buyer](https://feeny.ai/job/buyer-rivr-shanghai-kcr16ee1a0zc) — Shanghai, China - [Assembly Operator Intern](https://feeny.ai/job/assembly-operator-intern-rivr-shanghai-r8bhjvf428q7) — Shanghai, China - [Hardware integration Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/hardware-integration-engineer-rivr-shanghai-xz2anwhe3xkz) — Shanghai, China - [Software Engineer – DevOps](https://feeny.ai/job/software-engineer-devops-rivr-zurich-c3gv79vpnrfs) — Zurich, Switzerland - [Senior Mechanical Engineer – Power Electronics Packaging](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-mechanical-engineer-power-electronics-packaging-rivr-zurich-gj6pw40dteg9) — Zurich, Switzerland