Senior Quality Manager Jobs in California
Senior Quality Manager jobs in California are among the most active in the country, concentrated in aerospace and defense, medical devices, biopharmaceuticals, semiconductor manufacturing, and food and beverage production across a workforce that ranges from working leads to enterprise-level quality directors. The largest hiring centers are Los Angeles, San Diego, and the San Francisco Bay Area, where established employers such as Northrop Grumman, Boston Scientific, and Genentech maintain significant quality operations. The most in-demand specialties include quality management systems, regulatory affairs compliance, and supplier quality assurance. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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- Sunnyvale, CA, United States
- Not Remote
- Manufacturing & Operations
- JOB217723
Company Description
It started with a simple idea: what if surgery could be less invasive and recovery less painful? Nearly 30 years later, that question still fuels everything we do at Intuitive. As a global leader in robotic-assisted surgery and minimally invasive care, our technologies—like the da Vinci surgical system and Ion—have transformed how care is delivered for millions of patients worldwide.
We’re a team of engineers, clinicians, and innovators united by one purpose: to make surgery smarter, safer, and more human. Every day, our work helps care teams perform with greater precision and patients recover faster, improving outcomes around the world.
The problems we solve demand creativity, rigor, and collaboration. The work is challenging, but deeply meaningful—because every improvement we make has the potential to change a life.
If you’re ready to contribute to something bigger than yourself and help transform the future of healthcare, you’ll find your purpose here.
Job Description
Primary Function of Position
This role oversees end-to-end quality investigations (spanning on-site manufacturing operations, supplier operations, product design activities and customer complaints), risk management, new product development and BU wide improvement initiatives across the Endoluminal product family and operational area.
Essential Job Duties
- Leads critical product, process investigations and audits with cross functional and cross site impact.
- Identifies systemic quality issues and drives sustainable solutions.
- Ownership of quality investigations for complaints and non-conformances.
- Serves as escalation owner for medium to high impact product quality & compliance risks
- Author, review, and approve QA documentation and protocols.
- Drive and own corrective and preventive action (CAPA) and/or Process NCs
- Ownership of risk assessment activities and process reviews.
- Support regulatory and customer audit preparations and responses.
- Analyze and interpret advanced quality data and KPI trends.
- Mentor junior engineers and technicians in technical expertise.
- Ensure compliance with company and regulatory standards (GMP, ISO, FDA).
- Advise cross-functional teams on quality requirements.
- Indentification and ownership of continuous improvement projects.
- Breadth of Impact and Leadership
- Owns quality outcomes across a product family, plant, or major operational area
- Drives improvements that impact multiple teams or value streams
- Leads cross functional teams without authority
- Mentor/coach junior QEs to transform into independent owners
- Influences decisions through expertise and credibility
Qualifications
Required Experience and Education
- Minimum 8 years of experience in QE/QA and bachelor’s degree in a engineering or relevant discipline, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
- At least 2 years of experience in a regulated industry in a relevant discipline.
Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
- Experience in supporting NPI from design and development through to manufacturing transfer
- Demonstrated experience supporting mechanical assembly of electro-mechanical systems, including supporting multi-component assembly processes.
- Skilled in designing and implementing inspection at upstream and downstream stages to early and appropriate detection
- Strong understanding of quality principles and methodologies
- Strong data analysis and data interpretation skills
- Strong ability to drive and resolve quality issues
- Strong communication and team collaboration, ability to influence stakeholders across departments
Physical Requirements
- Office, lab, production, and site travel as needed (<10%).
- Frequent computer and inspection work.
- Occasional lifting (<25 lbs) and PPE for production or regulated areas.
Additional Information
Due to the nature of our business and the role, please note that Intuitive and/or your customer(s) may require that you show current proof of vaccination against certain diseases including COVID-19. Details can vary by role.
Intuitive is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants and employees, and prohibit discrimination and harassment of any type, without regard to race, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, color, age, religion, protected veteran or disability status, genetic information or any other status protected under federal, state, or local applicable laws.
Mandatory Notices
U.S. Export Controls Disclaimer: In accordance with the U.S. Export Administration Regulations (15 CFR §743.13(b)), some roles at Intuitive Surgical may be subject to U.S. export controls for prospective employees who are nationals from countries currently on embargo or sanctions status.
Certain information you provide as part of the application will be used for purposes of determining whether Intuitive Surgical will need to (i) obtain an export license from the U.S. Government on your behalf (note: the government’s licensing process can take 3 to 6+ months) or (ii) implement a Technology Control Plan (“TCP”) (note: typically adds 2 weeks to the hiring process).
For any Intuitive role subject to export controls, final offers are contingent upon obtaining an approved export license and/or an executed TCP prior to the prospective employee’s start date, which may or may not be flexible, and within a timeframe that does not unreasonably impede the hiring need. If applicable, candidates will be notified and instructed on any requirements for these purposes.
We will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records in accordance with fair chance laws.
Preference will be given to qualified candidates who do not reside, or plan to reside, in Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, or Tennessee.
This position may be filled at a different job level than listed here depending on
business need and/or on the selected candidate’s experience, knowledge and skills.
Compensation will be based primarily on the job level at which the role is filled and the
candidate’s qualifications, consistent with applicable law.
We provide market-competitive compensation packages, inclusive of base pay, incentives, benefits, and equity. It would not be typical for someone to be hired at the top end of range for the role, as actual pay will be determined based on several factors, including experience, skills, and qualifications. The target compensation ranges are listed.
Base Compensation Range Region 1: $150,100 USD - $215,900 USD
Base Compensation Range Region 2: $127,600 USD - $183,500 USD
Shift: Day
Workplace Type: Set Schedule - This job will be onsite weekly, the percentage of onsite work will be defined by the leader.
See All 257+ Senior Quality Manager Jobs in California
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Find Senior Quality Manager JobsSenior Quality Manager Jobs by City in California
Where California roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Senior Quality Manager Job Market in California
A snapshot from current California openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring



Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software21
- Electronics & Hardware13
- Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals11
- Medical Devices9
- Consulting & Professional Services5
What California Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in senior quality manager jobs across California.
- ASQ Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence (CMQ/OE) certification strongly preferred by California employers
- Bachelor's degree in engineering, life sciences, or a related technical field required
- Seven or more years of quality management experience in a regulated California industry
- Deep working knowledge of ISO 9001, FDA 21 CFR, or AS9100 standards relevant to the sector
- Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional quality teams and managing supplier audits
- Proficiency with quality management software, CAPA systems, and statistical process control tools
Senior Quality Manager Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a senior quality manager in California?
The most direct path is a bachelor's degree in engineering, life sciences, or a related technical field followed by progressive quality roles in a California regulated industry such as medical devices, aerospace, or food production. California does not issue a state license for quality managers, but the ASQ Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence credential is the industry standard recognized by hiring managers statewide. Candidates typically advance through quality engineer or quality assurance specialist roles before reaching senior management level.
How much do senior quality managers make in California?
Senior quality managers in California earn a median of about $132,620 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $80,950 for the lowest 10% to over $222,020 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire senior quality managers in California?
Employers hiring senior quality managers in California right now include Apple, Gilead Sciences, and Katalyst Healthcares & Life Sciences, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. California's concentration of aerospace primes, FDA-regulated medical device manufacturers, and large food and beverage producers means the employer base is broad and hiring remains consistent throughout the year.
Which California cities have the most senior quality manager jobs?
San Diego, San Francisco, and Sunnyvale have the most senior quality manager openings in California. Los Angeles anchors demand through its aerospace, defense, and entertainment supply chain sectors, San Diego draws heavily from its dense medical device and biotech corridor, and the Bay Area is driven by semiconductor, pharmaceutical, and technology hardware manufacturers that maintain large on-site quality teams.
Are there remote senior quality manager jobs in California?
Yes, but they're rare. Senior quality manager work is largely hands-on, requiring physical presence on the production floor, in supplier facilities, or during regulatory audits. About 37% of senior quality manager openings tied to California are remote or hybrid as of August 2026, and most of those blend on-site audit days with remote administrative and reporting work. Fully remote roles tend to appear in quality systems, documentation, and supplier quality oversight functions.
How can I get hired as a senior quality manager in California with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is a quality engineer or quality assurance technician role in a California regulated industry, where you build hands-on experience with audits, CAPA processes, and quality systems before moving into management. Large California employers in medical devices and aerospace, including companies such as Abbott and Raytheon, run structured development programs that rotate early-career candidates through quality functions. Earning the ASQ Certified Quality Engineer credential while in a junior role signals readiness for advancement and gives candidates a measurable edge in the California market.
Where can I find and apply to senior quality manager jobs in California?
You can find and apply to senior quality manager jobs in California on Migrate Mate, which lists current California openings across aerospace, medical devices, biopharma, and manufacturing. Find roles that fit your background and apply directly to the employers posting them.
See All 257+ Senior Quality Manager Jobs in California
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