---
title: 'Quality Engineer at Persona AI Inc'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/quality-engineer-persona-ai-inc-houston-qfxjx71sy40s'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-20'
---

# Quality Engineer at Persona AI Inc

- **Company:** Persona AI Inc
- **Location:** Houston, TX
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Posted:** 2026-06-17
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-20
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/persona.ai/de83c3eb-e6e4-4ba2-a675-db4e8ef7918a/application

**Skills:** ISO 9001, PPAP, 8D Root Cause Analysis, Metrology, Calipers, Micrometers, Height Gauges, CMM Machines, Technical Drawings, Blueprints, GD&T, Statistical Process Control, SPC, Quality Control Methodologies, Automotive Manufacturing, Medical Device Manufacturing, Consumer Electronics Manufacturing, Robotics Manufacturing, Aerospace Manufacturing

> Persona AI is seeking a Senior Quality Engineer to build the quality function from the ground up for its humanoid robotics manufacturing team. The role involves establishing incoming inspection, supplier quality standards, ISO 9001 certification, and managing the full quality chain from field to factory.

## Job description

Persona AI is developing and commercializing rugged, multi-purpose humanoid robots that perform real work. Persona's founding team has a decades-long history in humanoid robotics, bionics, and product development delivering robust hardware that has touched the stars, worked miles below the surface of the ocean, roamed Disney Parks, and has even been featured on a US postage stamp. Our mission is focused squarely on shipping beautiful, reliable products at massive scale, while building a customer-focused team to achieve these aims.

Role Overview: We're looking for a Quality Engineer to join our manufacturing team and build the quality function at Persona AI from the ground up. You will report directly into the Head of Manufacturing and be responsible for defining what great looks like: stand up incoming inspection, establish supplier quality standards, drive ISO 9001 certification, and own the full field-to-factory-to-supplier quality chain. You'll work closely with our Head of Manufacturing and Supply Chain Lead, and your decisions will shape how Persona's robots get built and into production!

Responsibilities:

- Incoming Inspection: Define, procure, and set up all inspection equipment. Establish processes to validate that every supplier is building to spec and create documentation systems to track compliance over time.
- Supplier Quality Management: Partner with the Supply Chain Lead to hold suppliers accountable. Own PPAP (Pre-Production Approval Process) to ensure consistent standards before any part enters full production. Lead root cause analysis (8D) when parts fail to meet spec and drive resolution back to the source.
- Field, Factory & Supplier Quality Chain: Investigate field failures using a field → factory → supplier framework — was it used wrong, built wrong, or sourced wrong? Collaborate with assembly to implement poka-yoke (mistake-proofing) so the right build is the only possible build.
- ISO 9001 Certification: Drive Persona toward ISO 9001 certification — document processes, manage document control and revision history, and prepare for independent audit. Own the annual re-certification process once established.
- Metrology & Measurement: Specify, procure, and maintain precision inspection equipment including calipers, micrometers, CMM machines, and other measurement tools. Ensure calibration accuracy and traceability across all equipment.
- Quality Documentation: Create and maintain detailed inspection reports, non-conformance documentation, supplier scorecards, and quality records that support audit readiness and continuous improvement.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with Supply Chain, Assembly, and field operations teams across Houston and Pensacola. Expect meaningful travel (~40% initially) to supplier sites and field locations as the function matures.
- Factory Floor Standards: Establish metrics and visual management so anyone walking the floor understands build status at a glance. Partner with the process engineering function on factory layout and process design as the team scales.

Qualifications:

- 10 + years in quality engineering or manufacturing quality in a hardware environment. Automotive (OEM or Tier 2/3 supplier), medical device, consumer electronics, robotics, or aerospace preferred.
- Hands-on experience or a strong interest in building quality infrastructure from scratch, not just maintaining or monitoring an inherited system.
- Deep familiarity with ISO 9001. You've been through a certification process as a key contributor or lead
- Strong PPAP and 8D root cause analysis experience
- Proficiency with metrology equipment: calipers, micrometers, height gauges, CMM machines
- Ability to read and interpret technical drawings, blueprints, and GD&T specifications
- Supplier quality management experience. You will need to be comfortable owning the relationship when things go wrong.
- Knowledge of statistical process control (SPC) and quality control methodologies
- Houston-based or willing to relocate; comfortable with ~40% travel, reducing as the function matures

Why Join Persona AI?

- We offer competitive compensation, a performance-based bonus, 99% employer covered medical benefits, early-stage equity, competitive PTO, and a company-wide paid winter break between December 24th and January 2nd.
- You’ll shape technology that’s redefining the possibilities of robotics and human interaction.
- Work alongside passionate teammates who value creativity, collaboration, and continuous learning.
- Enjoy full access to advanced tools, hardware labs, and the freedom to push the boundaries of what robots can do.

Persona AI is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

## About Persona AI Inc

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Persona AI develops industrial humanoid robots designed for skilled physical work in complex environments like shipyards, construction sites, and energy infrastructure.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Pre-Seed stage)
- **Headquarters**: Houston, Texas, United States
- **Founded**: 2024
- **Founders**: Nicolaus Radford (CEO), Jide Akinyode (COO), Dr. Jerry Pratt (CTO)

## Core Business
- **Primary industry/industries**: Industrial Robotics, Humanoid Robotics, AI, Manufacturing, Construction, Energy, Shipbuilding
- **Target customers**: B2B / Enterprise — heavy industrial sectors including shipbuilding, construction, energy (oil & gas, utilities), manufacturing, and defense.
- **Mission or purpose statement**: To build industrial humanoid robots that perform skilled physical work in complex environments, addressing labor shortages, improving safety, and increasing operational efficiency across heavy industry. The company focuses on the "4D jobs" — dull, dirty, dangerous, and declining — so that humans don't have to perform them.

## Products & Services
- **Persona AI Humanoid Platform**: A modular industrial humanoid robot designed for real-world applications in shipyards, construction sites, energy infrastructure, and manufacturing facilities. The system is engineered for skilled physical work in complex environments and supports tasks such as welding, grinding, inspection, material handling, fabrication, and equipment maintenance. The modular design allows integration with standard industrial tools and adaptation to different workflows.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not disclosed
- **Key Metric**: Total Funding — $30M (oversubscribed Pre-Seed round, closed June 2025)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Tides Ventures, Unity Growth Fund, POSCO DX, GOOSE Capital, SGH Capital, Embedded Ventures, and 19 other investors. Partners include Under Armour (performance materials), ABS (shipyard safety), and the State of Louisiana (pilot program at SSE Steel Fabrication).
- **Growth Signals**: Headcount of ~65 employees (as of mid-2025) with a monthly growth rate of +3.9%. Active job postings have grown +13.3% monthly and +54.5% quarterly. The company has announced key hires including Brian Davis (Head of Global Manufacturing) and Michael Perry (Head of Commercial Strategy). It has secured a pilot program with the State of Louisiana and a partnership with ABS for shipyard applications.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Deep domain expertise**: The leadership team has contributed to 15+ humanoid projects and published impactful robotics research, giving them a strong technical foundation.
- **Modular, task-focused design**: The robot platform is built to integrate with standard industrial tools and adapt to different workflows, making it practical for real-world deployment rather than being a general-purpose humanoid.
- **Early mover in a critical niche**: Persona AI is specifically targeting the skilled industrial labor gap in sectors like shipbuilding, construction, and energy, which face acute labor shortages and high demand for automation.
- **Strong government and industry partnerships**: Early pilot programs with the State of Louisiana and a partnership with ABS (American Bureau of Shipping) demonstrate real-world traction and validation.

## Strategic Focus
- **Productization and deployment**: Moving from R&D to deploying humanoid robots in real industrial environments, with a focus on welding, fabrication, and maintenance tasks.
- **Scaling the team**: Aggressively hiring across robotics engineering, machine learning, mechanical design, and commercial strategy roles to build out the organization.
- **Building commercial partnerships**: Establishing relationships with major industrial players (e.g., POSCO, HD Hyundai affiliates, Under Armour) and government entities to secure pilot programs and long-term contracts.
- **Expanding use cases**: Targeting shipbuilding, construction, energy infrastructure, and defense as primary verticals.

## Why Work Here
- **Mission-driven work**: The company is tackling a tangible, high-impact problem — the skilled labor shortage in heavy industry — by building robots that perform dangerous, dirty, and physically demanding tasks.
- **Strong technical team**: The leadership includes veterans from NASA, the robotics research community, and major defense/industrial companies. The CTO, Dr. Jerry Pratt, is a well-known figure in humanoid robotics.
- **Early-stage growth**: As a 2024 startup with $30M in funding and a headcount of ~65, new hires can have significant impact on the product and company direction.
- **Diverse, hands-on roles**: Open positions range from Welding Engineer and Robotics Technician to Machine Learning Engineer and XR Rendering Engineer, offering a variety of technical challenges.
- **Houston-based**: Headquarters in Houston, Texas, with a growing international presence. The company appears to be on-site or hybrid given the nature of hardware development.
- **Notable perks/culture**: The company emphasizes a "build" culture, with a focus on putting "tough humanoids to work." The team includes veterans from Anduril, Nauticus Robotics, and NASA, suggesting a high-caliber, mission-driven engineering environment.

## Sources
1. [persona.ai](https://persona.ai/)
2. [LinkedIn - Persona AI](https://www.linkedin.com/company/persona-humanoids-at-work)
3. [CB Insights - Persona AI](https://www.cbinsights.com/company/persona-ai)
4. [Ashby Careers - Persona AI](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/persona.ai)
5. [Persona AI - The Team](https://persona.ai/the-team/)

## Other roles at Persona AI Inc

- [Staff, Robotics ML/Data Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/staff-robotics-ml-data-engineer-persona-ai-inc-pensacola-fl-or-houston-dd2hrmyg6xb3) — Pensacola FL OR Houston, TX
- [AI Engineer – Robotics Data Preprocessing](https://feeny.ai/job/ai-engineer-robotics-data-preprocessing-persona-ai-inc-pensacola-fl-or-houston-mzny1g5jneke) — Pensacola FL OR Houston, TX
- [Senior Assembly Technician](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-assembly-technician-persona-ai-inc-houston-n7kt2xazhmpk) — Houston, TX
- [Robotics Software Internship, Manipulation](https://feeny.ai/job/robotics-software-internship-manipulation-persona-ai-inc-houston-3ymz9b7b5tm8) — Houston, TX
- [Talent Acquisition Coordinator](https://feeny.ai/job/talent-acquisition-coordinator-persona-ai-inc-houston-27jreg4pv57e) — Houston, TX
- [Senior Technical Recruiter – Advanced Manufacturing](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-technical-recruiter-advanced-manufacturing-persona-ai-inc-houston-7xhsd3k6ym9r) — Houston, TX
- [Senior Technical Recruiter - Humanoid Robotics Engineering](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-technical-recruiter-humanoid-robotics-engineering-persona-ai-inc-houston-ze8sb651qkw5) — Houston, TX
- [Controls Systems Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/controls-systems-engineer-persona-ai-inc-houston-dwx4kw5d6sp5) — Houston, TX
- [Senior Robotics Software Engineer - Autonomy](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-robotics-software-engineer-autonomy-persona-ai-inc-houston-2qspy6cwd7jy) — Houston, TX
- [Precision Assembler](https://feeny.ai/job/precision-assembler-persona-ai-inc-houston-b7h62z0a3b93) — Houston, TX