PCB Designer - Level 4

Sophia Space Inc.; Pasadena, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 122,000 - 181,000; Full time

Job summary

Sophia Space Inc. in Pasadena, CA seeks a Senior PCB Designer / Layout Engineer to own the physical realization of Tile avionics hardware from schematic intake through layout release, fabrication, assembly, and test support.

You will translate complex analog, power, and high-speed designs into quiet, flight-ready PCBs that survive vibration, vacuum, radiation, and thermal cycling; this role is not CAD-only and requires space avionics insight.

Qualifications

• Hands-on experiences in using Altium and LTSpice and other ECAD tools.
• Schematic capture and PCB layout expertise for complex analog, power, and mixed-signal avionics boards, with ownership from schematic release through layout and fabrication.
• High-reliability PCB layout proficiency, including switching-loop control, return-path management, grounding strategy, Kelvin sensing, creepage/clearance, and thermal via implementation.
• PCB stackup and materials knowledge, including copper weights, plane strategy, controlled-impedance routing, and space-compatible laminate selection.
• Manufacturability and testability focus, with experience generating fabrication/assembly documentation, defining test points, and supporting board bring-up and debug.
• Simulation and analysis support capability, including basic SPICE, signal-integrity, or power-integrity analysis to validate schematic and layout intent.
• Space avionics hardware lifecycle experience, including configuration-controlled releases and participation in SRR/PDR/CDR and flight-hardware reviews.

Responsibilities

• Own schematic capture and PCB layout execution for Tile avionics boards (including the compute element and EPS), translating system and power requirements into electrically correct, flight-ready schematics and physical implementations.
• Collaborate on circuit-level analysis and simulation, supporting signal-integrity, power-integrity, and basic SPICE-based validation to ensure schematic intent is preserved through layout.
• Apply space-grade layout practices, including switching-loop minimization, return-path control, grounding strategy, Kelvin sensing, creepage/clearance, and thermal conduction.
• Define and manage PCB stackups and materials, including copper weights, plane strategy, controlled impedance, and compatibility with space avionics fabrication and assembly standards.
• Ensure manufacturability and testability, producing fabrication and assembly documentation, defining test points and probing strategy, and supporting board bring-up and debug.
• Support the full space avionics hardware lifecycle and testbeds, including configuration-managed releases, SRR/PDR/CDR participation as layout authority, and support of TVAC, vibration, and EMC testing.

Skills

Altium

LTSpice

ECAD tools

Schematic capture

PCB layout

High-reliability PCB

Tools

Altium

LTSpice

ECAD tools

Job description

Sophia Space is a venture-backed deep technology company building high-performance, energy-efficient computing systems designed to operate in orbit. Our work sits at the intersection of aerospace systems, advanced computing, artificial intelligence, and applied physics, enabling a new generation of distributed edge computing capabilities in space.

Having successfully completed our Seed financing, Sophia is focused on scaling its team, products, and capabilities as we prepare for the next stage of growth. We are building a world-class engineering organization that combines expertise from aerospace, cloud computing, robotics, and AI to solve some of the most challenging problems in space infrastructure. As both a product company and an engineering-driven organization, we actively leverage modern AI tools throughout our development process to accelerate learning, improve productivity, and help deliver innovative, environmentally responsible computing platforms for the future.

Job Description

We are seeking a Senior PCB Designer / Layout Engineer to own the physical realization of Tile avionics hardware, including computer elements and EPS boards, from schematic intake through layout release, fabrication, assembly, and test support.

This role is responsible for how the circuit is built in copper. You will translate complex analog, power, and high-speed designs into quiet, manufacturable, flight-ready PCBs that survive vibration, vacuum, radiation, and thermal cycling. This is not a "CAD-only" role. Deep understanding of space avionics behavior and lifecycle is required.

This position is primarily in-person in Pasadena, California, with occasional hybrid flexibility based on business needs.

This position requires access to technology that is subject to U.S. export control laws. To comply with applicable ITAR and EAR regulations, applicants must qualify as a U.S. Person, as defined under those regulations. U.S. Persons generally include U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents (green card holders), and certain protected individuals as defined by applicable law.

Primary Responsibilities

• Own schematic capture and PCB layout execution for Tile avionics boards (including the compute element and EPS), translating system and power requirements into electrically correct, flight-ready schematics and physical implementations.
• Collaborate on circuit-level analysis and simulation, supporting signal-integrity, power-integrity, and basic SPICE-based validation to ensure schematic intent is preserved through layout.
• Apply space-grade layout practices, including switching-loop minimization, return-path control, grounding strategy, Kelvin sensing, creepage/clearance, and thermal conduction.
• Define and manage PCB stackups and materials, including copper weights, plane strategy, controlled impedance, and compatibility with space avionics fabrication and assembly standards.
• Ensure manufacturability and testability, producing fabrication and assembly documentation, defining test points and probing strategy, and supporting board bring-up and debug.
• Support the full space avionics hardware lifecycle and testbeds, including configuration-managed releases, SRR/PDR/CDR participation as layout authority, and support of TVAC, vibration, and EMC testing.

Required Skills

• Hands-on experiences in using Altium and LTSpice and other ECAD tools.
• Schematic capture and PCB layout expertise for complex analog, power, and mixed-signal avionics boards, with ownership from schematic release through layout and fabrication.
• High-reliability PCB layout proficiency, including switching-loop control, return-path management, grounding strategy, Kelvin sensing, creepage/clearance, and thermal via implementation.
• PCB stackup and materials knowledge, including copper weights, plane strategy, controlled-impedance routing, and space-compatible laminate selection.
• Manufacturability and testability focus, with experience generating fabrication/assembly documentation, defining test points, and supporting board bring-up and debug.
• Simulation and analysis support capability, including basic SPICE, signal-integrity, or power-integrity analysis to validate schematic and layout intent.
• Space avionics hardware lifecycle experience, including configuration-controlled releases and participation in SRR/PDR/CDR and flight-hardware reviews.

Desired Skills

• Direct spaceflight avionics experience, including Single board computer, EPS, or payload boards flown or qualified for space.
• Exposure to environmental qualification testing, such as TVAC, vibration, and EMC, and ability to interpret layout-related test results.
• High-power or high-speed design experience, including dense power distribution, high-current rails, or high-speed interfaces (e.g., PCIe, Ethernet) and control bus (CAN, RS485).
• Radiation-aware and derating-driven design familiarity, including layout considerations for long-life space missions.
• Testbed development and lab support experience, assisting with hardware test setups, probing strategies, and instrumentation.
• Flight-hardware organization experience, such as prior work at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, SpaceX, or equivalent aerospace programs.

The pay range for this role is:

122,000 - 181,000 USD per year (Pasadena, CA)