PCB Design Engineer

Motive Companies, LLC; Santa Monica (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 175,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

401(k) matching

Paid time off

Job summary

Motive Companies, LLC in Santa Monica is seeking an experienced Spacecraft PCB Design Engineer to drive electrical hardware development for spacecraft programs. You will design, test, and integrate PCB assemblies, avionics subsystems, and flatsat emulators, from concept through flight qualification.

Ideal candidates have hands-on PCB design, board bring-up, debugging, and space industry standards experience, with collaboration across cross-functional teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or advanced degree in Electrical or Aerospace Engineering.
• 5+ years core electrical engineering experience in aerospace with hands-on spacecraft hardware testing.
• Proficiency with PCB design software such as Altium, KiCad, Eagle, or similar tools.
• Demonstrated experience debugging PCBs using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and manual soldering/rework tools.
• Experience working in clean room environments and following ESD protocols.
• Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail.
• Must be eligible to obtain a DoD Top Secret clearance.

Responsibilities

• Execute spacecraft electrical PCB design, integration, and testing.
• Design and develop avionics subsystems and flatsat emulators with emphasis on reliability and testability.
• Develop and execute electrical integration procedures and board bring-up procedures.
• Support the design, build, and use of electrical support equipment.
• Collaborate with cross-functional engineering teams to integrate subsystems with spacecraft systems.
• Maintain compliance with industry standards and regulatory requirements.
• Document design processes, test results, and system performance.
• Provide technical guidance on spacecraft flight and test configuration grounding.

Skills

PCB design

Troubleshooting

Team collaboration

Fast-moving environment

Education

Electrical/Aerospace Eng degree

Tools

Altium

KiCad

Eagle

Job description

Job Details

A&D/Semi

PCB Design Engineer Santa Monica,CA Posted:11/5/2026 Job Description

Job ID#:

87058

Job Category:

A&D/Semi

Position Type:

Direct

Duration:

Direct

Shift:

1

Motive Workforce is seeking an experienced Spacecraft PCB Design Engineer to support the development, integration, and testing of electrical hardware for spacecraft programs in Los Angeles. This is a hands-on engineering role supporting spacecraft electrical boards, avionics assemblies, and test systems throughout the design, build, integration, and test process. The ideal candidate has strong aerospace electrical engineering experience and is comfortable moving between PCB design, board bring-up, hardware debugging, integration, and spacecraft-level testing.

Key Responsibilities

• Execute spacecraft electrical PCB design, integration, and testing.
• Design and develop avionics subsystems and flatsat emulators with an emphasis on reliability and testability.
• Develop and execute electrical integration procedures and board bring-up procedures.
• Support the design, build, and use of electrical support equipment.
• Collaborate with cross-functional engineering teams to integrate compute and power subsystems with other spacecraft systems.
• Maintain compliance with applicable industry standards and regulatory requirements.
• Document design processes, test results, and system performance.
• Provide technical guidance on spacecraft flight and test configuration grounding.

Job Requirements

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's or advanced degree in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.
• 5+ years of core electrical engineering experience in aerospace, with a strong emphasis on hands-on spacecraft hardware testing and assembly.
• Proficiency with PCB design software such as Altium, KiCad, Eagle, or similar tools.
• Demonstrated experience debugging PCBs using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and manual soldering/rework tools.
• Experience working in clean room environments and following ESD protocols.
• Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to collaborate effectively in a fast-moving engineering environment.
• Must possess or be willing and eligible to obtain a United States Department of Defense Top Secret security clearance.

Desired Qualifications

• Experience designing electronic assemblies for space applications.
• Experience with NASA GEVS standards.
• Experience with IPC Class board assembly standards.
• Experience with EMI/EMC and magnetics analysis and testing.
• Experience designing and building wiring harnesses for EGSE and flight applications.
• Experience integrating custom electronics into larger spacecraft systems.
• Experience designing and implementing grounding and shielding schemes at the spacecraft level.

Compensation

$140,000 - $175,000 per year Final compensation will be based on experience, education, and qualifications.

Benefits

Benefits include paid employee medical healthcare, flexible vacation, sick days, 401(k) matching, pregnancy leave, family leave, holiday pay, military service leave, dental coverage, vision coverage, and additional benefits.