--- title: '(Senior) Quality Assurance Engineer at RIVR' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-quality-assurance-engineer-rivr-shanghai-6906w6grj552' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-09-07' --- # (Senior) Quality Assurance Engineer at RIVR - **Company:** RIVR - **Location:** Shanghai, China - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-07 - **Apply:** https://jobs.lever.co/rivr/6de4cde0-549f-453a-9d14-1c59e6c83434 ## 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’re looking for a (Sr) Quality Assurance Engineer role as a member of Amazon RIVR’S Supply Chain and Manufacturing team. Note that it’s a 2-in-1 role,  that covers 2 traditionally roles commonly known as “SQE- supplier quality engineer’’ and “ Manufacturing Quality Engineer” You will own the quality strategy for our most critical assets: the actuator module and the Final Assembly of the quadruped robot. You will work in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment where you will be expected to define inspection criteria, build processes, and instill a culture of quality without slowing down our momentum. ## What you’ll be doing - Define critical-to-quality (CTQ) parameters for mechanical and electrical parts and assemblies for both suppliers’ parts and RIVR‘s production floor. - Monitor and keep track of critical quality metrics (e.g. scrap rate,  cp/cpk,  OEE, etc.), maintain a quality related parameter data base. - Propose and Lead the execution of quality improvement solutions for both suppliers’ incoming parts and Amazon RIVR’S production floor. - Manage the Non-Conforming Material Report  process; lead root cause analysis (8D, 5-Why, Fishbone, FTA ...) for issues found in incoming parts and Amazon RIVR‘s production and testing floor. - Manage incoming quality control (IQC) for critical components such as machined structural parts, PCBA boards, and high-cost actuators. - Lead supplier sides’ qualification audits for both new and existing partners, identify quality risks and propose control methodology. Drive corrective actions to closure with verified effectiveness. - Own the supply chain and production quality tool and quality system （IT system, workflows, document templates )  establishment. - Implement end-of-line (EOL) testing procedures for the full quadruped robot, including motion tests, payload validation, and safety checks. - Travel to key suppliers (as needed) to conduct source inspections and resolve quality bottlenecks. ## What you must have - Bachelor or above degree in Engineering. - Proficient - a ’daily user‘  of the Classic quality analysis tool and capable of applying them in work. - Certified Six sigma green belt or black belt. - Familiar with ISO9001 quality audit process. - At least 5 years of experience in volume production projects in robotics, e-bike, consumer electronics or automotive. - Deep understanding of mechanical inspection tools (CMM, calipers, torque audit) and electrical testing tools. - Ability to read technical drawings, in particular must be familiar with GD&T knowledge. - At least 3 complete independent projects experience working for a new product at volume production phase. - Proactive spirit, willing to take on tasks that’s challenging and complicated. - Good reading and writing and English skills. Get some bonus points - Proven track record in a high-growth environment, specifically transitioning a company from a small team (under 50) through the production scaling phase. - Cross-cultural communication experience is highly preferred; ability to collaborate effectively with global teams. - Full professional proficiency in English (both written and verbal). - Design Engineer background. ## 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 - [Head of QA](https://feeny.ai/job/head-of-qa-rivr-zurich-g0ewwjh70nk0) — Zurich, Switzerland - [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 - [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