PCB Designer

Northwood; Torrance (CA); On-site; USD 79,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

Northwood Space in Torrance, CA is seeking a founding PCB Designer to establish the layout discipline and drive the design of high-speed digital compute and power PCBs for global deployments.

You will collaborate with Electrical, RF, and Antenna engineers, set layout standards, mentor teammates, and partner with external vendors to ensure reliability, scalability, and cost efficiency in every board you touch.

Qualifications

• 2+ years in complex, high-density PCB layout with end-to-end ownership.
• Experience with high-speed/high-frequency designs and impedance control.
• Strong knowledge of HDI packaging and multi-layer stack-ups.

Responsibilities

• Own the physical layout of high-density PCBs with RF and power systems.
• Determine optimal layer stackups and routing under tight constraints.
• Create and maintain ECAD libraries for diverse components.
• Ensure DFM/ DFA/ DFT guidelines across hardware and production teams.
• Produce fabrication/assembly documentation (Gerbers, IPC-2581, drill charts).
• Coordinate with PCB fabrication vendors to resolve queries and improve rules.
• Evaluate and adopt advanced PCB design tools and automation scripts.
• Serve as internal authority on high-speed layout, mentoring staff.

Skills

High-speed PCB layout

HDI / fine-pitch packages

Impedance control

EMI/EMC mitigation

Autonomy in layout decisions

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related field

Tools

Altium Designer

Cadence Allegro

Siemens Xpedition

Job description

About Northwood

Northwood is a modern space infrastructure company bringing the benefits of space to the masses through advanced communications technology. We are building a global network of phased array ground stations that enable real-time, reliable communication for satellite missions such as national security, global connectivity, and disaster response. With a vertically integrated approach, Northwood designs, builds, and rapidly deploys scalable systems that power the next generation of space missions. If you like solving complex challenges and seeing your work deployed around the world with real impact, Northwood is the place to do it.

Role

Northwood is looking for a PCB Designer to be our first dedicated PCB layout hire, establishing the discipline from the ground up. You will define the standards, tools, and workflows that our physical design practice is built on, while driving the layout of our next-generation digital compute and power electronics. These complex boards ensure that our antennas can meet high-rate processing needs no matter where they are deployed around the world. As our founding PCB Designer, you won't just be routing traces; you will partner closely with our Electrical, RF, and Antenna engineers from concept to production, setting the technical bar for layout expertise and building the foundation for a team that delivers hardware known for its reliability, scalability, and cost.

Responsibilities

• Own the physical layout of complex, high-density, high-layer-count PCBs featuring high-speed, high-frequency digital, RF, mixed-signal, and power distribution systems.
• Determine optimum layer stackups, perform component placement, routing feasibility studies, and manage strict high-speed/high-frequency constraint rules.
• Perform ECAD library creation, management, and maintenance for a wide array of active, passive, and high-pin-count components.
• Collaborate across hardware and production teams to ensure strict adherence to Design for Manufacturability (DFM), Design for Assembly (DFA), and Design for Test (DFT) guidelines.
• Generate and release comprehensive documentation packages for fabrication and assembly (Gerbers, ODB++, IPC-2581, drill charts, fabrication drawings).
• Work closely with external PCB fabrication and assembly vendors to resolve technical queries (EQs) and continuously improve internal design rules.
• Evaluate, select, and champion advanced PCB design tools and automation scripts to establish the technical groundwork for scaling the layout function as the team grows.
• Serve as the internal authority on high-speed and high-frequency layout practices, mentoring engineers across disciplines on layout-aware design.

Basic Qualifications

• 2+ years of professional experience in complex, high-density PCB layout, with demonstrated ownership of high-speed and high-frequency designs end-to-end (or a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering/related field with 6+ years of relevant experience).
• Hands-on expertise in high-speed and high-frequency layout techniques (impedance control, differential pairs, length matching, crosstalk mitigation, and RF-aware routing).
• Proven experience with advanced packaging technologies, including fine-pitch BGAs, high-pin-density components, and micro-vias (HDI).
• Strong command of PCB materials, dielectric properties, and developing multi-layer board stack-ups for high-frequency performance.
• Demonstrated experience applying EMI/EMC mitigation techniques and designing robust power delivery networks (PDN) at the board level.
• Track record of operating with significant autonomy, able to set direction and make final layout calls with minimal oversight.

Preferred Qualifications

• 2+ years of experience designing high-speed, high-frequency, mixed-signal PCBs for FPGA, processor, RF/antenna, or high-performance networking systems.
• Experience with routing high-speed interfaces such as multi-gigabit SerDes, DDR memory, JESD204B/C, and 10/100G Ethernet.
• Proficiency in industry-standard ECAD tools (Altium Designer, Cadence Allegro, or Siemens Xpedition).
• Strong understanding of IPC standards (e.g., IPC-2221, IPC-7351) and commercial manufacturing tolerances.
• Experience with ECAD/MCAD co-design and integration workflows (e.g., SolidWorks, STEP files) for tight mechanical constraints.
• Experience with scripting or automation (e.g., Python, Skill, or Altium scripts) to optimize layout workflows.
• Prior experience building or scaling a PCB layout function, standards library, or design process from scratch.
• Excellent communication skills and a proven ability to make sound layout tradeoffs in a fast-paced, collaborative hardware environment.

Additional Requirements

• Must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed

Compensation

PCB Designer/Level 2: $79,200-$99,000

PCB Designer/Level 3: $100,000-$125,000

Additional Information

If you need a reasonable accommodation as part of your application for employment or interviews with us, please let us know.

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Northwood Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Northwood Space is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.