SKYDAGGER

CAREER

PCB Manufacturing & Test Engineer

  • Drone R&D

Role Summary

Responsible for bringing designs to manufacturability, establishing the production process, and defining the testing strategy for printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs). You will work in Altium Designer, generate BOMs and fixture PCBs, design and commission ICT/FCT test fixtures, and build the technical infrastructure for series production.

Key Responsibilities

Design-to-Manufacturing Interface

  • Conduct technical reviews of R&D handover packages; perform DFM / DFA / DFT analyses, prioritize findings, and resolve them in coordination with R&D.
  • Work in Altium Designer: library/footprint verification (IPC-7351), BOM creation and management (ActiveBOM), and generation of manufacturing outputs (Gerber X2 / ODB++ / IPC-2581, CPL, drill files, assembly drawings).
  • Clarify layer stackups and impedance requirements with bare-board suppliers; evaluate coupon and microsection reports.
  • Panelization design: V-cut/tab-routing, fiducials, tooling holes, breakaway rails, and depanelization stress mitigation.

 

Process Setup and Verification

  • Stencil design (thickness, aperture ratio, area ratio, step-stencils) and determination of solder paste printing parameters.
  • Reflow profile development and thermocouple profile verification logging; technical justification for SnPb vs. SAC305 decisions; evaluation of nitrogen or vapor-phase soldering requirements.
  • Establish SMT assembly, wave/selective soldering, hand soldering, and rework/repair processes compliant with IPC J-STD-001 and IPC-7711/7721 Class 3.
  • Define AOI and X-ray (AXI) programming/criteria; analyze defects such as BGA voiding and head-in-pillow.
  • Special processes: conformal coating (masking, thickness, curing — IPC-CC-830), potting, staking (IPC-9797), underfill, cleaning, and cleanliness verification (ROSE / ion chromatography).
  • Prepare Work Instructions (WIs), process flow diagrams, PFMEAs, and Control Plans; deliver operator training and qualification.
  • Establish and audit ESD control programs (ANSI/ESD S20.20) and FOD prevention (AS9146) on the production floor.

Testing and Fixturing

  • Define board-level test strategies: allocation across ICT / Boundary Scan (JTAG) / Flying Probe / FCT, targeting high test coverage.
  • Design or specify and commission ICT bed-of-nails fixtures: probe planning, vacuum/mechanical press systems, and test point accessibility analysis.
  • Design FCT fixtures: pogo pin plates, power and load management, DAQ/instrumentation (NI PXI/cDAQ, etc.), avionics interfaces (MIL-STD-1553, ARINC 429, RS-422/485, CAN, Ethernet), signal conditioning, and EMI/noise control.
  • Design fixture electronics in Altium and lead or support mechanical design (Catia/SolidWorks/Inventor); coordinate internal workshop or vendor manufacturing and perform acceptance testing.
  • Develop or oversee test software development (NI TestStand/LabVIEW, Python); define limits, measurement uncertainty, data logging, and reporting.
  • Fixture qualification: correlation with golden units, Gage R&R, false-reject rate tracking, calibration planning, pogo pin lifespan/spare parts management, and revision control.
  • Establish programming, calibration, and ESS/burn-in workflows; supply sample units and support fixtures for DO-160/MIL-STD-810 qualification testing.
     

Continuous Improvement

  • Monitor FPY / DPMO, perform Pareto analysis, execute root cause analysis (8D), and reduce rework rates.
  • Feed manufacturability insights back to R&D to establish permanent internal DFM rules.
  • Qualify alternative components for process and test impact; evaluate ECO effects on manufacturing.
  • Contribute technical data, measurements, and ballooned drawings for AS9102 FAI execution.
     

Qualifications (Mandatory)

  • Bachelor's degree in Electrical & Electronics / Electronics & Communications / Mechatronics Engineering, or an Associate degree in Electronics Technology combined with strong hands-on experience (for technician roles).
  • Minimum 4 years (Engineer) or 6 years (Technician) of hands-on experience in PCBA manufacturing and testing.
  • Proficiency in Altium Designer: schematic/layout interpretation, footprints, BOM creation, and manufacturing output generation.
  • Demonstrated ability to read and generate schematics, layouts, assembly drawings, Gerber/ODB++, drill, and CPL files.
  • Practical expertise in SMT assembly processes: 0402/0201 passives, fine-pitch QFP, BGA/QFN/LGA, MSL management, reflow profiles, and AOI/AXI inspection.
  • Solid knowledge of IPC-A-610 Class 3 and IPC J-STD-001 acceptance criteria; practical hand soldering and rework skills.
  • Proven track record in designing and commissioning test fixtures (ICT and/or FCT) — key selection criterion.
  • Hands-on experience with test instrumentation: oscilloscopes, DAQs, power supplies, electronic loads, spectrum analyzers.
  • Technical English proficiency sufficient to read and apply industry standards and technical datasheets.

 

Preferred Qualifications

  • Aerospace/defense electronics background; experience working within DO-254 / DO-160 / MIL-STD-810 / MIL-STD-461 standards.
  • Active IPC certifications: IPC-A-610 CIS/CIT, IPC J-STD-001 Specialist/Trainer, IPC/WHMA-A-620.
  • Test automation skills using NI TestStand / LabVIEW or Python.
  • Experience with Boundary Scan (JTAG) tools (XJTAG, Corelis, Goepel) and BSDL integration.
  • Mechanical CAD proficiency (SolidWorks / Inventor) for fixture and pogo plate design.
  • Production experience with rigid-flex, HDI/microvia, and RF (Rogers) substrate technologies.
  • Applied experience with conformal coating, potting, staking, and underfill operations.
  • Cable/harness assembly (IPC/WHMA-A-620 Class 3) and crimp qualification experience.
  • Exposure to automated DFM tools such as Valor NPI.
  • Six Sigma Green/Black Belt certification; experience with PFMEA, SPC, and Minitab.