PCB Manufacturing Engineer

SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP; Hawthorne (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

SpaceX is seeking a PCB Manufacturing Engineer in Hawthorne, CA to lead manufacturing and quality initiatives for rocket PCBA processes. You will own new part introductions, collaborate with design, R&D and suppliers, and drive manufacturability improvements across fabrication methods for rocket avionics.

The role requires a Bachelor’s degree in engineering and 1+ years in manufacturing or process engineering, with experience in PCBA, IPC standards, and supplier quality processes.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related field.
• Experience in manufacturing or process engineering for electronics.
• Familiarity with PCBA processing and IPC standards.

Responsibilities

• Serve as technical contact for rocket parts and assemblies, solving supply chain manufacturing issues.
• Own new part introductions and ramping processes for parts, including supplier review.
• Collaborate with design, R&D, and production teams to manage the product portfolio.
• Analyze data to drive improvements in manufacturability, lead times, and cost.
• Lead containment and root-cause actions with supplier and internal teams.
• Support supplier qualification and process audits to ensure quality.

Skills

PCB manufacturing

Manufacturing engineering

Quality tools

Supplier collaboration

New product introduction

Data analysis

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering

Tools

PCBA processing

Pick and place

Reflow ovens

X-ray/AOI systems

Depanelization equipment

IPC standards IPC-2221/IPC-A-610

Job description

SpaceX was founded under the belief that a future where humanity is out exploring the stars is fundamentally more exciting than one where we are not. Today SpaceX is actively developing the technologies to make this possible, with the ultimate goal of enabling human life on Mars.

PCB MANUFACTURING ENGINEER

SpaceX demands a new type of supply chain as we drive towards humanity on Mars. We require our suppliers to provide premium quality with rapidly evolving designs at increasingly ambitious volumes. We are actively looking for candidates who possess comprehensive knowledge of manufacturing and quality tools and have unrelenting motivation to enable suppliers for success. This position will support our Starship program and requires a combination of proven leadership and technical capabilities.

This is a highly technical position that requires practical experience in manufacturing engineering and new product development through stabilized production for an array of fabrication processes (components and assemblies) used in rockets and rocket engine avionics. The ideal candidate will have a broad and thorough understanding of electronics fabrication methodologies including printed circuit boards (PCBs), engineering laminates, electrochemical processes, printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs), and/or EEE components with their associated processes. This candidate must have the desire and capability to take on new challenges in unfamiliar areas to help enable our mission to Mars.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Serve as the technical point of contact for assigned parts and assemblies of the rocket, solving emergent challenges at suppliers, and mitigating risk to the manifest by addressing high-impact manufacturing and quality challenges
• Own the new product introduction of new parts and assemblies on the rocket, including identifying and reviewing suppliers, and developing a reliable process for ramping manufacturing to rate for parts that are new, undergoing drawing changes, or undergoing re-sourcing at a new supplier
• Collaborate with design, R&D, commercial supply chain, hardware reliability, and production teams to effectively manage product portfolio
• Analyze production and process data to drive technical product improvements and related engineering drawing updates, reducing risk and potential defect opportunities as well as improving manufacturability, manufacturing lead times, and cost
• Review issues on assigned parts and solve to the root cause, implementing changes at the supplier, at SpaceX or both, as appropriate, drive further actions to closure, and re-source to new suppliers where appropriate
• Create and disposition issue tickets where needed, working with engineering counterparts to implement, but not limited to, required re-work, repair or use as-is disposition
• Lead containment activities on assigned parts, working with cross-functional counterparts to agree on scope, path forward and ultimate resolution
• Drive supplier root cause failure analysis and corrective actions associated with any quality gaps, escapes, or containments
• Support procurement team to strategically source parts matched with supplier capabilities by reviewing and assessing supplier manufacturing processes and quality systems
• Demonstrate innovation, technical excellence, attention to detail, self-direction and courage to push the technical envelope which is conventionally held in the industry.
• Become thoroughly familiar with your assigned parts and the processes that make up the overall assembly and become the primary point of contact for supply chain related defects on your parts

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in an engineering discipline
• 1+ years of experience with manufacturing or process engineering role

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Electronics manufacturing experience, preferably with printed circuit boards (PCBs), engineering laminates, electrochemical processes, printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs), and/or EEE components
• Working knowledge of PCBA processing, such as pick and place machines, reflow ovens, wave/selective soldering systems, x-ray and AOI systems, and depanelization equipment
• Understanding of PCB stack up material selection and performance characteristics
• In depth knowledge of industry specifications and requirements (IPC-2221, IPC-A-600, IPC-A-610, etc.)
• Experience drafting and presenting Design for Manufacturing (DFM) improvement suggestions to product Responsible Engineers
• Experience with assessing supplier technical capability both from an equipment, operations, and personnel perspective through onboarding efforts and audits
• Working knowledge of supplier quality processes (Production Part Approval Process, Advanced Product Quality Planning, First Article Inspection Reports, etc.)
• Disciplined approach to problem solving – i.e. 8D
• Experience with quality systems (ISO 9000/TS/AS9100)
• Experience with 3D modeling/CAD software, and engineering drawing creation
• Experience with Pareto analysis, root cause, corrective action, and PFMEAs
• Knowledge of lean concepts
• Knowledge of statistical techniques and methods (Minitab, design of experiments, Six Sigma, etc.)
• Ability to succinctly communicate status and needed actions, often urgently, to all levels of the organization
• Experience with sharing information and influencing others (strong written and verbal communication skills, able to liaise cross functionally, internally and externally, make presentations to team members and management)

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Willingness to work extended hours, some nights and/or weekends when needed
• Ability to travel: up to 25-50% work week travel (domestic and international)
• Valid driver’s license

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:
Pay Range:
Level 1: $100,000.00 - $130,000.00
Level 2: $115,000.00 - $160,000.00

Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience.

Base salary is just one part of your total rewards package at SpaceX. You may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of company stock or long-term cash awards, as well as potential discretionary bonuses and the ability to purchase additional stock at a discount through an Employee Stock Purchase Plan. You will also receive access to comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, short and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, paid parental leave, and various other discounts and perks. You may also accrue 3 weeks of paid vacation and will be eligible for 10 or more paid holidays per year. Employees accrue paid sick leave pursuant to Company policy which satisfies or exceeds the accrual, carryover, and use requirements of the law.

• To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here .

SpaceX is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with SpaceX 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.

Applicants wishing to view a copy of SpaceX’s Affinitie Action Plan for veterans and individuals with disabilities, or applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to the application/interview process should reach out to [e-mail].

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiringprocess or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in SpaceX’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp .

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

• Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
• Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
• Blind or low vision
• Cancer (past or present)
• Cardiovascular or heart disease
• Celiac disease
• Cerebral palsy
• Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
• Diabetes
• Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
• Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
• Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
• Intellectual or developmental disability
• Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
• Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
• Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
• Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
• Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
• Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
• Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
• Short stature (dwarfism)
• Traumatic brain injury

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.