Manufacturing Engineer – PCB Assembly

About the Role

As a Manufacturing Engineer at Rocket EMS, you will lead the engineering activities that ensure printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs) can be manufactured reliably, efficiently, and at the required production volume. Your focus will include design for manufacturability (DFM), design for assembly (DFA), new product introduction (NPI), manufacturing planning, and product lifecycle support.

This role evaluates the complete manufacturing approach—from customer design data and assembly requirements through production routing, tooling, inspection, test integration, and final assembly. You will identify manufacturing risks early, coordinate solutions with customers and internal teams, and lead improvements that affect multiple production areas.

You’ll work closely with Process Engineering, Quality, Test Engineering, Supply Chain, Production, and Program Management to translate product requirements into a complete, controlled manufacturing plan and resolve broader technical issues throughout production.

Responsibilities

• Lead DFM and DFA reviews for new and revised products, identifying design features that affect assembly quality, repeatability, cost, and production capability.

• Evaluate component spacing and orientation, land patterns, thermal characteristics, panelization, tooling access, soldering accessibility, inspection visibility, coating access, and mechanical assembly requirements.

• Review customer manufacturing packages, including assembly drawings, BOMs, schematics, PCB fabrication data, specifications, and engineering changes; resolve missing, conflicting, or unclear requirements.

• Coordinate manufacturability recommendations with customer engineering and Program Management, obtaining required approvals before implementing changes to customer-controlled designs or requirements.

• Lead manufacturing engineering activities for NPI, including feasibility assessments, readiness reviews, pilot builds, risk closure, and transition into sustained production.

• Define and maintain the overall manufacturing sequence, master routings, labor assumptions, tooling requirements, and production documentation requirements with input from Process Engineering.

• Coordinate complete manufacturing packages so that approved drawings, revisions, routings, tooling, and process instructions are available and aligned before production release.

• Assess the manufacturing impact of ECOs, component substitutions, and design revisions, including effects on work in process, tooling, process qualification, inspection, and test.

• Establish product-level tooling and fixture requirements; coordinate development and qualification with Process Engineering, Test Engineering, suppliers, and equipment vendors.

• Partner with Test Engineering on design for testability, test access, fixture integration, coverage requirements, and the placement of test operations within the manufacturing flow.

• Lead resolution of complex manufacturing issues involving product design, material compatibility, tolerance interactions, or multiple production processes.

• Coordinate manufacturing risk reviews across the full assembly flow, ensuring process PFMEAs and control plans address risks at the interfaces between operations.

• Develop capacity assessments and manufacturing improvement plans involving equipment capability, production layout, automation, material flow, and production scale-up.

• Support equipment and technology selection through technical evaluations, cost-benefit analysis, capital recommendations, and qualification planning.

• Analyze product-level yield, manufacturing cost, labor performance, rework, and scrap to prioritize improvements and verify business results.

• Support quoting and program planning with manufacturing feasibility input, tooling costs, labor estimates, and technical risk assessments.

• Support customer technical reviews, audits, and manufacturing transfers while ensuring applicable quality, safety, ESD, and customer requirements are incorporated into manufacturing plans.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related field preferred.

• Equivalent electronics manufacturing experience with demonstrated DFM, NPI, and manufacturing planning responsibility considered.

Experience

• 3+ years of manufacturing engineering experience in PCBA or electronics manufacturing.

• Experience performing DFM/DFA reviews and translating customer product requirements into manufacturing plans.

• Experience leading or coordinating NPI builds, manufacturing readiness activities, and transition to sustained production.

• Broad understanding of SMT, through-hole assembly, soldering, cleaning, inspection, test integration, conformal coating, and mechanical assembly.

• Experience managing manufacturing documentation, engineering changes, routings, and product configuration.

• Working knowledge of applicable IPC-A-610 and J-STD-001 requirements, including Class 2 and Class 3 applications.

• Experience with manufacturing cost analysis, capacity planning, equipment justification, or automation projects preferred.

• Experience in high-reliability electronics manufacturing, including aerospace or defense applications, preferred.

Skills

• Ability to interpret and evaluate assembly drawings, BOMs, schematics, PCB design data, mechanical tolerances, and customer specifications.

• Strong DFM/DFA analysis and ability to communicate practical design recommendations to customers and internal teams.

• Ability to develop complete manufacturing plans and coordinate technical work across departments.

• Strong problem-solving skills for issues involving design, materials, tooling, and interactions between manufacturing processes.

• Familiarity with CAD/CAM or DFM review tools, engineering change systems, and ERP/MES platforms.

• Working knowledge of PFMEA, Lean manufacturing, process capability, and structured improvement methods.

• Ability to evaluate technical alternatives using quality, cost, capacity, and schedule considerations.

• Strong technical writing, project coordination, and customer communication skills.

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and manufacturing documentation systems.

Benefits

• 401(k) with company match

• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance

• Paid time off

• Career growth opportunities in high-reliability electronics manufacturing

Schedule

• 8-hour shift, Monday–Friday

• Overtime and weekends as needed

ITAR/EAR Compliance: Due to the nature of the work performed at Rocket EMS, this position may require access to export-controlled technical data or technology. The successful candidate must be eligible to access such information under applicable U.S. export-control laws or be eligible for any required government authorization.

Rocket EMS will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the California Fair Chance Act. Candidates are not required to disclose criminal history or participate in a background check unless and until a conditional offer of employment has been made. Any final offer of employment may be conditioned on completion of a background check, consistent with applicable law.
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