PCB Layout Engineer

Cowboy Space; San Carlos (CA); On-site; USD 128,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity in Cowboy Space Corp.

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Paid time off

401(k) retirement savings plan

Daily lunch in the office

Job summary

Cowboy Space is seeking a PCB Layout Engineer in San Carlos, California. This role involves designing high-performance printed circuit boards for spacecraft systems, collaborating with various engineering teams to ensure optimal performance in challenging environments.

The position requires a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering and relevant experience in PCB design, with a competitive salary range of $128,000 to $160,000 annually. Benefits include health insurance, 401(k), and equity in the company.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Physics, or related field.
• 1-5+ years of experience in PCB layout for complex electronic systems.
• Experience with industry-standard PCB design tools such as Altium Designer.

Responsibilities

• Layout of complex multilayer PCBs for spacecraft avionics and power systems.
• Collaborate with electrical engineers to translate schematics into production-ready PCB designs.
• Define stackups and routing strategies for high-speed digital interfaces.

Skills

PCB layout for complex electronic systems

Experience with Altium Designer

Signal integrity understanding

Thermal performance knowledge

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

Altium Designer

Cadence Allegro

Mentor Graphics

Job description

Cowboy Space Corp. is building the infrastructure to power and connect the orbital economy. Our satellites operate in Low Earth Orbit to collect sunlight and enable a new class of capabilities—from powering on-orbit compute, to transmitting energy via infrared lasers (space-to-earth and space-to-space), powering on-orbit compute to delivering secure, high-bandwidth optical data. By rethinking how energy and data are generated and distributed in space, we’re unlocking entirely new ways to operate both in orbit and on Earth.

Founded in 2024 by Baiju Bhatt (co-founder of Robinhood), Cowboy Space Corp. is backed by leading investors and built by a team from top aerospace and defense organizations. We’re moving quickly to solve complex technical challenges and build a new category of space infrastructure.

About the Role

The Avionics Team is looking for a PCB Layout Engineer to own the design and implementation of high-performance printed circuit boards that power our spacecraft systems. In this role, you will work closely with electrical, mechanical, manufacturing, and test engineers to develop complex multilayer boards supporting power electronics, compute hardware, communications systems, and mission-critical avionics. You will be responsible for translating schematics into manufacturable layouts while balancing signal integrity, power integrity, thermal performance, and reliability requirements for the space environment.

Responsibilities

• Layout of complex multilayer PCBs for spacecraft avionics, power systems, RF systems, and compute hardware
• Collaborate with electrical engineers to translate schematics into production-ready PCB designs
• Define stackups and routing strategies for high-speed digital interfaces, power distribution networks, and mixed-signal designs
• Perform signal integrity, power integrity, impedance control, and design rule analysis
• Work closely with mechanical engineers to ensure proper board fit, thermal performance, and system integration
• Generate fabrication, assembly, and manufacturing documentation packages
• Partner with suppliers and contract manufacturers to support board fabrication, assembly, and bring-up activities
• Drive DFM, DFA, and DFT best practices throughout the design process
• Contribute to the development of internal PCB design standards and layout methodologies

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Physics, or related field
• 1-5+ years of experience in PCB layout for complex electronic systems
• Experience with industry-standard PCB design tools such as Altium Designer, Cadence Allegro, or Mentor Graphics
• Experience designing multilayer boards with controlled impedance, high-speed interfaces, and dense component placement
• Understanding of signal integrity, power integrity, grounding, and EMI/EMC considerations
• Experience creating manufacturing documentation and supporting board fabrication and assembly

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience designing PCB layouts for aerospace, defense, satellite, or other high-reliability systems
• Experience with high-speed interfaces such as DDR, PCIe, Ethernet, SerDes, or FPGA-based systems
• Familiarity with RF layout techniques and mixed-signal board design
• Experience supporting environmental testing including vibration, thermal vacuum, and EMI/EMC testing
• Knowledge of IPC standards and design for manufacturability best practices
• Experience working in fast-paced startup environments
• Experience with component creation, verification, and library management

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range for this position is $128,000 - $160,000 annually. The actual base salary offered will depend on factors such as job-related skills, experience, qualifications, and internal equity.

• Equity in Cowboy Space Corp.
• Employees and their eligible dependents may enroll in medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) retirement savings plan
• Paid time off
• 10 paid holidays per calendar year
• Paid parental leave
• Relocation assistance if applicable
• Daily lunch in the office and a fully stocked kitchen with beverages and snacks

ITAR Requirements

Export Control Requirement: To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), applicants 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. Learn more about ITAR here.

Disclaimer

This job description is a summary of the primary duties and responsibilities of the job and position. It is not intended to be a comprehensive or all-inclusive listing of duties and responsibilities. Contents are subject to change at Cowboy Space Corp.’s discretion.

Cowboy Space Corp. is an equal employment opportunity employer. We consider individuals for employment or promotion according to their skills, abilities and experience. Cowboy Space Corp. is committed to complying with all applicable laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, religious creed, age, national origin, ancestry, physical, mental or developmental disability, sex (which includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and medical conditions relating to pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding), veteran status, military status, marital or registered domestic partnership status, medical condition (including cancer or genetic characteristics), genetic information, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, as well as any other category protected by federal, state or local laws.