Quality and Process Development Engineer

Quality Engineer

Dispatch Goods is building the infrastructure for a zero-waste future. We partner with food businesses to replace single-use packaging with reusable solutions, making reuse the new default. As we scale across markets and deepen our impact, we’re seeking passionate, systems-minded teammates to help shape the future of sustainable food packaging.

Position Summary

As a high-growth start-up in the green industrial technology space, Dispatch Goods is made up of entrepreneurial-minded individuals who wear multiple hats while applying their expertise toward the mission of replacing single-use packaging with reusable alternatives. To compete with single-use, Dispatch Goods needs to be world-class at minimizing the cost of sanitizing food packaging containers while delivering on the quality standards our food service customers demand.

We’re looking for an early-career Quality Engineer to help us keep our wash and refurbishment operations safe, consistent, and continuously improving. This role is primarily focused on Food Safety & Quality Assurance (FSQA), making sure our processes meet food-contact safety standards and our customers receive products they can trust. You’ll also get hands-on exposure to line/process quality engineering (troubleshooting, RCA, DOE) and supplier quality, with room to grow into any of those specialties over time.

This is a hands-on, on-the-floor role. If you get excited about preventing defects before they happen, asking “why” five times until you find the real root cause, and turning messy quality data into clear corrective actions, you could be a great fit. This role will report directly to the Director of Manufacturing Operations.

Key Responsibilities Food Safety & Quality Assurance (Primary Focus)

• Support day-to-day execution of our food safety program, including sanitation verification, allergen controls, environmental monitoring, and pre-operational inspections.
• Help maintain HACCP and preventive controls documentation, records, and verification activities in compliance with FDA 21 CFR Parts 110/117, GMPs, and applicable customer requirements.
• Conduct internal audits and help prepare the facility for third-party, customer, and regulatory audits.
• Investigate quality holds, non-conformances, and customer complaints; document findings and drive corrective and preventive actions (CAPAs) to closure.
• Partner with operations and sanitation teams to keep CCPs, prerequisite programs, and sanitation cycles in control.
• Support SOP, Work Instruction, and Job Aid authoring and revision; train operators on changes and verify adherence on the floor.
• Help maintain bioburden swab testing, ATP monitoring, allergen testing, and microbiological monitoring programs.

Line & Process Quality (Growing Focus)

• Troubleshoot quality issues on the line, defects, process drift, equipment-related variation, and partner with Operations to resolve them quickly.
• Lead or support root cause analysis (RCA, 5-Why, Fishbone, 8D) and follow corrective actions through to verified effectiveness.
• Help design and run experiments (DOE) to improve wash efficacy, drying performance, defect rates, and process consistency.
• Track and trend quality KPIs (first-pass yield, defect rates, complaint rates, sanitation verification results); surface what the data is telling us and recommend actions.
• Manage supplier non-conformances and supplier CAPAs as you grow into the role; support incoming inspection of materials and packaging.
• Contribute to continuous improvement projects aimed at reducing variability, downtime, and cost per cycle – chiefly workforce efficiency.

Qualifications Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Industrial Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related technical field.
• Experience in a food, beverage, CPG, pharmaceutical, medical device, or other regulated manufacturing environment (internships and co-ops count).
• Comfort working on the production floor is a hands-on role, not a desk job. You’re willing to be near equipment, and close to the process.
• Strong written communication you can document an investigation, write a clean CAPA, and update an SOP without supervision.
• Curious, organized, and data-driven. Comfortable in Excel/Google Sheets and willing to learn whatever tools the job needs.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a fast-changing startup environment with shifting priorities.
• Willing to travel 25-50%, depending on project priorities.

Preferred (Nice-to-Haves — We’ll Help You Build These)

• HACCP and/or PCQI certification.
• Exposure to SQF, BRC, or another GFSI scheme.
• Familiarity with quality tools: RCA, DOE, SPC, 5-Why, 8D.
• Six Sigma Green Belt or coursework.
• Experience with environmental monitoring programs, bioburden/ATP swab testing, allergen testing, or sanitation validation in a food-contact environment.
• Working knowledge of lean manufacturing principles.
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) for floor communication.

What Success Looks Like

In 30 days: You know our process end-to-end, our food safety plan, our top defect modes, and the people on the floor by name.

In 90 days: You’re independently running internal audits, leading RCA on routine quality issues, and owning a defined piece of our food safety program.

In 12 months: You’ve led at least one meaningful improvement project (defect reduction, process validation, or supplier issue resolution) and have a clear development path in the area of quality you want to grow into.

Performance Metrics

• Reduction in customer complaints and non-conformances.
• Reduction in cost per unit
• Internal, customer, and regulatory audit pass rates.
• Sanitation verification and environmental monitoring program compliance.
• CAPA cycle time and verified effectiveness rate.
• Reduction in line-level defect rates and process variability.
• Qualitative: a growing reputation across the team as the person who finds the real root cause, not just the easy one.

Details of Position

• Full-time exempt position.
• Position based at our facility and company headquarters in Hayward, CA.
• Salary and employee stock options commensurate with experience.
• Competitive benefits package.
• Evening, weekend, and holiday work required occasionally to support production.
• Occasional travel (up to 15%) to other Dispatch Goods facilities for training, audits, or improvement projects.

In order to apply, please send your resume and a brief email describing your interest in this role to ***email_hidden***.