PCB Design Engineer

GCS Recruitment; Redmond (WA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

GCS Recruitment is seeking an experienced PCB Designer in Redmond to support advanced phased-array communication hardware. The role covers design, layout, bring-up, testing, and debugging across mixed-signal, digital, FPGA, and RF domains.

You will own multi-layer PCB work from schematic capture to validation, collaborate with cross-functional teams, and ensure reliability under demanding environmental conditions in high-reliability programs.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related discipline.
• 8+ years designing complex electronic hardware and PCBs.
• Experience with schematic capture, component selection, and PCB layout ownership.
• Hands-on lab experience bringing up and debugging hardware.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop complex multilayer PCBs for advanced communication and phased-array systems.
• Own PCB designs from schematic capture through layout, fabrication support, bring-up, validation, and debug.
• Select components and create robust designs meeting electrical, thermal, mechanical, and reliability requirements.
• Develop hardware around high-performance processors, FPGAs, custom silicon, converters, and high-speed interfaces.
• Perform PCB layout activities including stack-up definition, routing, SI, power distribution, and manufacturability reviews.
• Conduct board bring-up, hardware integration, validation, and root-cause analysis in a laboratory environment.
• Debug hardware issues using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, spectrum analyzers, network analyzers, and other test equipment.
• Analyze failures and improve designs across prototype and production hardware.
• Support multiple product generations by validating released hardware and contributing to next-generation designs.
• Collaborate with electrical, FPGA, RF, mechanical, manufacturing, reliability, and test engineering teams.
• Evaluate hardware performance across environmental conditions including temperature extremes, vibration, and other high-reliability operating environments.
• Participate in component reviews considering reliability, radiation tolerance, lifecycle, and long-term availability requirements.
• Document design decisions, validation results, debug findings, and engineering recommendations.

Skills

PCB Design

Schematic Capture

Signal Integrity

FPGA Design

Lab Debugging

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Job description

Overview

We are seeking an experienced PCB Designer to support the development of advanced phased-array communication systems used in high-reliability environments. This role involves the design, layout, integration, bring-up, testing, and debugging of complex electronic hardware that drives next-generation antenna systems. The successful candidate will work on sophisticated mixed-signal, digital, FPGA, and RF-based hardware across the full product development lifecycle, from concept through laboratory validation and product refinement.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and develop complex multilayer printed circuit boards (PCBs) for advanced communication and phased-array systems.
• Own PCB designs from schematic capture through layout, fabrication support, bring-up, validation, and debug.
• Select components and create robust designs that meet electrical, thermal, mechanical, and reliability requirements.
• Develop hardware around high-performance processors, FPGAs, custom silicon, converters, and high-speed digital interfaces.
• Perform PCB layout activities including stack-up definition, routing strategies, signal integrity considerations, power distribution, and manufacturability reviews.
• Conduct board bring-up, hardware integration, validation, and root-cause analysis in a laboratory environment.
• Debug hardware issues using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, spectrum analyzers, network analyzers, and other test equipment.
• Analyze failures and performance issues on prototype and production hardware and implement corrective design improvements.
• Support multiple product generations by validating released hardware while contributing to next-generation designs.
• Collaborate with electrical, FPGA, RF, mechanical, manufacturing, reliability, and test engineering teams throughout product development.
• Evaluate hardware performance across environmental conditions including temperature extremes, vibration, and other high-reliability operating environments.
• Participate in component selection reviews with consideration for reliability, radiation tolerance, lifecycle, and long-term availability requirements.
• Document design decisions, validation results, debug findings, and engineering recommendations.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or a related discipline.
• 8+ years of experience designing complex electronic hardware and PCBs.
• Strong experience with schematic capture, component selection, and PCB layout ownership.
• Proven experience designing and supporting complex multilayer circuit boards.
• Hands-on experience bringing up and debugging hardware in a laboratory environment.
• Strong understanding of high-speed digital design principles and signal integrity.
• Experience with interfaces such as PCIe, DDR, JESD204, SerDes, Ethernet, or comparable high-speed architectures.
• Proficiency with industry-standard PCB design and schematic capture tools.
• Ability to perform root-cause analysis and resolve complex hardware issues.
• Experience working closely with cross-functional engineering teams throughout the hardware development lifecycle.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience designing hardware for aerospace, space, defense, satellite, or other high-reliability applications.
• Knowledge of radiation-tolerant or space-grade electronic design practices.
• Familiarity with component derating, worst-case analysis, and reliability engineering principles.
• Experience designing mixed-signal, FPGA, microwave, or RF hardware systems.
• Familiarity with environmental qualification testing, including thermal and vibration testing.
• Experience supporting products through multiple design iterations and product releases.

Key Technical Areas

• Complex PCB Design
• High-Speed Digital Electronics
• Mixed-Signal Hardware
• FPGA-Based Systems
• Hardware Bring-Up & Debug
• Signal Integrity
• Power Distribution Design
• Reliability Engineering
• Environmental Qualification
• Laboratory Validation & Testing