Electronics Manufacturing Engineer
The Senior Electronics Manufacturing Engineer will lead the assembly, testing, and integration of wire harnesses and printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs) for both flight spacecraft and developmental use. This role involves partnering closely with design engineering teams to ensure a robust design process that facilitates seamless, high-quality production of harnesses and PCBAs. You will take ownership of manufacturing processes, including overseeing contract manufacturers and managing internal production teams to deliver aerospace-grade harnesses and PCBAs of the highest quality. This includes responsibility for all factory-floor processes, tooling, and continuous improvement initiatives.
Additionally, you will provide strategic oversight for integration planning and operations, including vehicle routing, harness installation, and electrical connections. You will serve as a key technical leader, guiding production and integration efforts while maintaining a relentless focus on quality and precision.
The ideal candidate brings extensive experience in aerospace harness and PCBA manufacturing, a proven track record of establishing and sustaining production processes with an emphasis on quality and reliability, and a meticulous attention to detail. If leading end-to-end manufacturing for space-bound systems, driving innovation, and taking ownership of mission-critical hardware excites you, this is the role for you.
Role
- Lead the development, validation, and qualification of advanced manufacturing and test processes, including selecting and commissioning equipment and tooling while documenting best practices and providing training.
- Define and implement spacecraft harness and cable routing strategies while contributing to comprehensive integration planning.
- Collaborate with design engineering teams to optimize harness and PCBA designs for manufacturability and quality, including in-depth reviews of schematics, drawings, and bills of materials (BOMs).
- Author and oversee the creation of production procedures, work order templates, process specifications, and other technical documentation to support manufacturing and assembly.
- Establish and maintain strong relationships with contract manufacturers, including conducting on-site engagements to enhance their manufacturing and quality processes while addressing technical questions and resolving issues.
- Analyze non-conformances to identify root causes, develop corrective actions, and drive systemic improvements to enhance manufacturing outcomes.
- Direct and coordinate PCBA manufacturing activities, including managing supplier relations, overseeing quarantine and rework operations, and driving continuous improvement initiatives.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, physics, or equivalent technical degree.
- Minimum of 5 years of hands-on experience in wire harness or PCBA manufacturing, with demonstrated expertise in advanced manufacturing processes and quality standards.
- Extensive knowledge and application of IPC-A-620 and IPC-A-610 standards, as well as NASA guidelines, for wire harness assembly, PCBA quality assurance, and board coating.
- Extensive expertise in electrical testing methodologies, including continuity, insulation resistance, and hipot testing, with a strong focus on industry standard compliance. Skilled in PCBA testing techniques such as flying probe and ICT testing.
- Deep understanding of materials used in harness and PCBA manufacturing, including wire types, connectors, epoxies, PCB design considerations, electrical components, board conformal coating materials and application methods, and soldering techniques for various applications.
- Proactively collaborate with the Design Engineering team to identify and address manufacturing challenges early in product development by implementing and enforcing Design for Manufacturing (DFM), Design for Assembly (DFA), and Design for Serviceability (DFS) principles.
- Ability to provide technical guidance on material selection and process improvements to enhance manufacturing outcomes and product performance.
- Must be willing to travel to off-site contract manufacturers, including overnight travel and on short notice.
- Exhibit strong communication skills, both written and verbal, to effectively coordinate across internal and external teams.
- Must be onsite 5 days a week.
Bonus
- Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering (or equivalent)
- Experience with Zuken design software, Altium PCBA software, or similar
- Experience with 3D CAD software (Solidworks, NX, or similar)
- Experience in failure analysis tools and techniques, including SEM, EDX, X-ray imaging, and cross-sectioning, to diagnose and resolve component issues
- Hands-on experience using electrical test equipment (multimeters, oscilloscopes, power supplies, etc)
- Hands-on experience building electrical harnesses with both solder- and crimp-style connectors for aerospace applications as well as PCBA reworks/assembly and soldering