eCad Electrical Engineer - Level 3/4 - Dulles

Northrop Grumman; Virginia (MN); On-site; USD 114,000 - 213,000; Full time

Job summary

Northrop Grumman is seeking an ECAD/PCB layout engineer for Space Sector in Dulles, VA. You will focus on board-level layout, not schematic design, and collaborate with design engineers to meet high-reliability spaceflight requirements.

The role emphasizes layout precision, HDI techniques, and adherence to aerospace standards. The position is 100% onsite with a 9/80 schedule and every other Friday off, offering opportunities to work on critical flight hardware and participate in design reviews

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or higher with relevant PCB layout experience.
• Experience with Cadence Allegro PCB Designer in high-reliability environments.
• Experience creating and managing ECAD libraries (symbols/footprints).
• Demonstrated expertise in multilayer board layout with signal and power integrity in mind.

Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end PCB layout process using Cadence Allegro PCB Designer.
• Develop multilayer, HDI and controlled impedance layouts for space environments.
• Create and maintain PCB symbols, footprints, and padstacks per internal standards.
• Ensure layout meets electrical, mechanical, and thermal constraints with engineers.
• Implement high-speed routing, differential pairs, and EMI/EMC practices.
• Support RF layout requirements including controlled impedance and grounding strategies.
• Incorporate blind/buried vias and stackup design for rigid/flex assemblies.
• Generate fabrication and assembly files; participate in design reviews.

Skills

Cadence Allegro PCB Designer

Signal integrity

Power integrity

Leadership in layout design

U.S. Citizenship

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Master's degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

ECAD libraries (symbols/footprints)

Job description

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available

CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: No

CLEARANCE TYPE: None

TRAVEL: Yes, 10% of the Time

Description

At Northrop Grumman, our employees have incredible opportunities to work on revolutionary systems that impact people’s lives around the world today, and for generations to come. Our pioneering and inventive spirit has enabled us to be at the forefront of many technological advancements in our nation’s history - from the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean, to stealth bombers, to landing on the moon. We look for people who have bold new ideas, courage and a pioneering spirit to join forces to invent the future, and have fun along the way. Our culture thrives on intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity and bringing your whole self to work — and we have an insatiable drive to do what others think is impossible. Our employees are not only part of history, they’re making history.

Expand your horizons, advance your career, and contribute to a secure future for generations. Northrop Grumman’s Space Sector invites you to bring your pioneering spirit to our collaborative teams. As an eCad Electrical Engineer – Level 3 or Level 4 located in Dulles, VA, you’ll be a linchpin in missions of paramount importance, defining the art of the possible from day one. This position is 100% onsite and cannot accommodate telecommute work.

We are seeking an engineer specializing in PCB layout design to join our growing team of qualified, diverse professionals. In this role, you will focus exclusively on board‑level layout responsibilities—this is not a schematic design position. You will work closely with design engineers to implement high‑reliability, multilayer circuit boards for spaceflight hardware, applying best practices and aerospace standards. If you’re passionate about layout precision, spaceflight reliability, and pushing design boundaries, this is your mission.

This position will work a 9/80 schedule, with every other Friday off.

Job responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Own the end-to-end PCB layout process using Cadence Allegro PCB Designer.
• Develop multilayer, high-density interconnect (HDI) and controlled impedance layouts optimized for space environments.
• Create and maintain PCB symbols, footprints, and padstacks in accordance with internal library standards.
• Work closely with electrical and mechanical engineer to ensure layout meets electrical, mechanical, and thermal constraints.
• Implement high-speed routing techniques including differential pairs, length tuning, and EMI/EMC compliance practices.
• Support RF and mixed‑signal layout requirements, including:
• Controlled impedance and matched‑length RF signal traces
• Proper isolation and grounding strategies for RF sections
• Minimization of parasitic effects, signal loss, and coupling across layers
• Placement and routing for connectors, antennas, or filters used in RF paths
• Incorporate blind/buried vias, microvias, and stackup design for rigid/flex and complex assemblies.
• Generate fabrication (Gerber, ODB++) and assembly files, release documentation, and participate in design reviews.
• Apply NASA-STD-8739 and IPC-2221/2222 layout standards for space-rated hardware.
• Participate in DFM/DFX reviews with manufacturing partners to ensure layout readiness for fabrication and assembly.
• Collaborate with engineers to define layout constraints, clearance rules, and placement strategies.
• Drive quality through internal peer reviews, ECAD checklist adherence, and continuous layout optimization.
• Other duties as assigned

If this job description reads like it was written specifically for you, consider joining our team!

This position can be filled at either a Level 3 or Level 4.

Basic Qualifications For Level 3

• Bachelor’s degree with 5 years of professional PCB layout experience – OR – Master’s degree with 3 years of professional experience – OR – PhD with 0 years of professional experience.
• No clearance required to start
• Proven experience with Cadence Allegro PCB Designer in an aerospace, medical, or other high-reliability environment.
• Experience with creating and managing ECAD libraries (symbols/footprints).
• Demonstrated expertise in multilayer board layout with signal integrity and power integrity in mind.
• U.S. Citizenship.
• Demonstrated leadership in layout design for flight boards or mission-critical systems.
• Experience with IPC CID or CID+ certification or equivalent layout training.

Basic Qualifications For Level 4

• Bachelor’s degree with 8 years of professional PCB layout experience – OR – Master’s degree with 6 years of professional experience – OR – PhD with 4 years of professional experience.
• No clearance required to start
• Proven experience with Cadence Allegro PCB Designer in an aerospace, medical, or other high-reliability environment.
• Experience with creating and managing ECAD libraries (symbols/footprints).
• Demonstrated expertise in multilayer board layout with signal integrity and power integrity in mind.
• U.S. Citizenship.
• Demonstrated leadership in layout design for flight boards or mission-critical systems.
• Experience with IPC CID or CID+ certification or equivalent layout training.

Preferred Qualifications

• IPC CID or CID+ Certification.
• Experience with NASA-STD-8739.x, IPC-6012, and ECSS standards.
• Experience with RF layout best practices (e.g., maintaining return path integrity, shielding, and connector placement).
• Familiarity with designing for radiation environments and space qualification processes.
• Proficiency with constraint-driven design, stackup development, and controlled impedance routing.
• Experience with thermal/mechanical analysis coordination for layout decisions.
• Prior experience designing layouts for space-rated programs including DoD, NASA, or commercial LEO/GEO missions.

Working at Northrop Grumman is more than just a paycheck. We offer a comprehensive Total Rewards and benefits package designed to help you thrive at work and in life. For more information on our Total Rewards package, please visit our Total Rewards site.

Northrop Grumman Total Rewards

Primary Level Salary Range: $114,000.00 - $171,000.00

Secondary Level Salary Range: $142,200.00 - $213,400.00

The above salary range represents a general guideline; however, Northrop Grumman considers a number of factors when determining base salary offers such as the scope and responsibilities of the position and the candidate's experience, education, skills and current market conditions.

Depending on the position, employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay. Annual bonuses are designed to reward individual contributions as well as allow employees to share in company results. Employees in Vice President or Director positions may be eligible for Long Term Incentives. In addition, Northrop Grumman provides a variety of benefits including health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, savings plan, Company paid holidays and paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business.

The application period for the job is estimated to be 20 days from the job posting date. However, this timeline may be shortened or extended depending on business needs and the availability of qualified candidates.

Northrop Grumman is an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class. For our complete EEO and pay transparency statement, please visit http://www.northropgrumman.com/EEO. U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.