Senior PCB DFx Engineer

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Senior PCB DFx Engineer based in the United States.

The Senior PCB DFx Engineer will serve as a technical leader focused on printed circuit board (PCB) materials, fabrication technologies, producibility, and Design for Excellence (DFx) for advanced electronic systems.

You will work across design, manufacturing, quality, program, and supplier teams to ensure PCB designs are robust, manufacturable, and highly reliable.

The role covers sophisticated technologies including High-Density Interconnect (HDI), Radio Frequency (RF)/microwave, high-speed digital, rigid-flex, and high-reliability PCBs.

You will influence designs from early concept through production, reviewing materials, stack-ups, impedance requirements, via structures, fabrication drawings, and manufacturing specifications.

Your expertise will directly support demanding government, military, airborne, commercial, and space hardware programs.

You will also drive supplier collaboration, yield and quality improvements, root-cause investigations, and enterprise-wide PCB standards and guidelines.

This is a high-impact opportunity for an experienced PCB technology professional who enjoys solving complex manufacturing challenges and influencing technical decisions across multidisciplinary teams.

Accountabilities

• Provide technical leadership and guidance across HDI, RF/microwave, high-speed digital, rigid-flex, and high-reliability PCB technologies.
• Review PCB stack-ups, material selections, controlled impedance requirements, via structures, fabrication drawings, and manufacturing specifications to ensure design and production requirements are met.
• Lead PCB Design for Fabrication and Design for Excellence (DFx) reviews from initial concept through production, identifying risks and opportunities to improve manufacturability and reliability.
• Collaborate with global PCB fabrication suppliers to optimize manufacturing yield, product quality, cost, and production schedules.
• Lead root-cause investigations and corrective actions related to PCB fabrication, manufacturing, and reliability issues.
• Develop, maintain, and continuously improve enterprise-wide PCB design guidelines, standards, procedures, and best practices.
• Support multiple concurrent development programs and participate in critical design reviews, providing technical recommendations and helping teams resolve complex PCB-related challenges.
• Partner with design, manufacturing, quality, program management, and supplier teams to influence technical decisions and ensure successful hardware development and production.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or equivalent professional experience is required.
• You have 10+ years of experience in PCB fabrication, PCB technology, Design for Excellence (DFx), or PCB manufacturing engineering.
• You have extensive knowledge of HDI fabrication, micro-vias, sequential lamination, controlled impedance, RF materials, and PCB technologies designed for high-reliability applications.
• You have a strong understanding of relevant Institute for Printed Circuits (IPC) standards, including IPC-2221/2222, IPC-601X, IPC-A-600, IPC-A-610, and J-STD-001.
• You are familiar with PCB design and manufacturing tools and methodologies such as Mentor Xpedition, Zuken, Cadence Allegro, Valor, CAM350, Minitab, Jira, Agile, and Oracle.
• You have proven experience supporting aerospace, defense, military, airborne, or space hardware programs.
• You can manage multiple projects simultaneously while influencing technical decisions across multidisciplinary and cross-functional teams.
• You demonstrate strong communication, leadership, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• You have experience working with Class 3 and Space Addendum hardware, which is preferred.
• Knowledge of RF/microwave and phased-array antenna PCB technologies is preferred.
• IPC certifications such as Certified Interconnect Designer (CID), CID+, Certified IPC Trainer (CIT), or equivalent are preferred.
• U.S. citizenship is required for this U.S. Government position.
• An active Department of Defense (DoD) Secret Clearance or the ability to obtain one when administratively feasible is required; an active clearance is preferred.
• You must be able to travel up to 20%.

Benefits

• Annual base salary ranges from $141,500 to $224,000, depending on work location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.
• For specific work locations within San Jose, the San Francisco Bay Area, and the New York City metropolitan area, the annual base salary range is $176,000 to $264,000.
• Additional cash or stock incentives may be included as part of the overall compensation package, depending on the position offered.
• The role includes access to a range of medical, financial, and other benefits.
• Comprehensive benefits are designed to support employees’ overall health and wellness.
• The position offers the opportunity to contribute to advanced electronic systems supporting government, defense, airborne, commercial, and space applications.
• You will work in a multidisciplinary environment with opportunities to influence enterprise-wide PCB standards, manufacturing practices, and technical decisions.