Printed Circuit Board Design Engineer

Apex Placement & Consulting; Auburn Hills (MI); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) match

Hands-on work with UAS tech

Prototype to production

Autonomy

Collaborative environment

Real-world deployments

Job summary

Apex Placement & Consulting is seeking a PCB Design Engineer in Auburn Hills, MI to own schematic capture and board layout from design to production release. You will work on dense 6+ layer PCBs using Altium, define stackups, and handle power electronics layouts with close collaboration across electrical, embedded, mechanical, and manufacturing teams.

The role emphasizes hands-on layout, prototype bring-up, DFM/DFT support, and EMI/EMC considerations, with opportunities to see designs progress

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related field.
• 3+ years of PCB layout experience on shipped products.
• Experience with 6+ layer PCB designs and dense layouts.

Responsibilities

• Own schematic capture and PCB layout for dense, 6+ layer boards using Altium Designer.
• Define board stackups, controlled-impedance routing, via strategies, and return paths.
• Design layouts for power electronics, including battery management, DC-DC conversion, and motor drive systems.
• Place and route fine-pitch components, including BGAs and QFNs.
• Manage component selection, footprints, libraries, BOMs, and second-source considerations.
• Perform prototype board bring-up and validation alongside embedded engineers.
• Support DFM and DFT activities for production assembly, testing, and rework.
• Design test fixtures and functional test procedures for production boards.
• Address EMI/EMC considerations and support environmental and emissions testing.
• Work directly with PCB fabrication and assembly vendors on stackups, DFM feedback, and quality issues.
• Maintain fabrication and assembly documentation, revisions, and production outputs.
• Collaborate with mechanical engineers on board outlines, connectors, and thermal considerations.
• Troubleshoot board failures and support manufacturing through resolution.

Skills

PCB layout

Schematic capture

Altium Designer

Cadence (Allegro/OrCAD)

KiCad

High-speed / impedance control

Fine-pitch layouts

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

Altium Designer

KiCad

Cadence Allegro/OrCAD

Job description

APEX Placement and Consulting has partnered with a growing defense technology company in Auburn Hills, MI, specializing in the design and manufacturing of small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for the U.S. Department of Defense. We are seeking a PCB Design Engineer to join their growing engineering and manufacturing team.

This is a hands-on, layout-focused engineering role where you will own PCB schematic capture and board layout from initial design through prototype bring-up and production release.

What’s in it for you:

• 401(k) with employer match
• Hands-on work with cutting-edge UAS technology
• Opportunity to see your designs move from prototype to production
• High level of ownership and autonomy
• Collaborative environment working directly with electrical, embedded, mechanical, and manufacturing engineers
• Work on products that are actively tested and deployed in real-world applications

What your day will look like:

• Own schematic capture and PCB layout for dense, 6+ layer boards using Altium Designer
• Define board stackups, controlled-impedance routing, via strategies, and return paths
• Design layouts for power electronics, including battery management, DC-DC conversion, and motor drive systems
• Place and route fine-pitch components, including BGAs and QFNs
• Manage component selection, footprints, libraries, BOMs, and second-source considerations
• Perform prototype board bring-up and validation alongside embedded engineers
• Support DFM and DFT activities for production assembly, testing, and rework
• Design test fixtures and functional test procedures for production boards
• Address EMI/EMC considerations and support environmental and emissions testing
• Work directly with PCB fabrication and assembly vendors on stackups, DFM feedback, and quality issues
• Maintain fabrication and assembly documentation, revisions, and production outputs
• Collaborate with mechanical engineers on board outlines, connectors, and thermal considerations
• Troubleshoot board failures and support manufacturing through resolution

What we’re looking for:

• 3+ years of professional PCB layout experience on products that have shipped
• Experience designing and laying out 6+ layer PCBs
• Proficiency with Altium Designer, KiCad, or Cadence (Allegro/OrCAD); Altium experience is preferred
• Demonstrated experience with dense PCB layouts, including fine-pitch BGAs/QFNs and mixed power/signal designs
• Working knowledge of controlled impedance, stackup design, return-path management, and decoupling
• Experience with schematic capture and the ability to identify potential design issues before layout
• Hands-on lab experience with oscilloscopes, DMMs, soldering, and fine-pitch rework
• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or equivalent demonstrated experience

Bonus if you have:

• Experience with UAS, drones, robotics, or other size- and weight-constrained hardware
• High-current motor drive or battery management PCB layout experience
• RF layout experience, including antenna feeds, coax routing, filtering, or shielding
• Flex or rigid-flex PCB experience
• Experience designing to MIL-STD-461 or MIL-STD-810
• Familiarity with IPC-2221, IPC-7351, and IPC-A-610
• Experience with PX4 or ArduPilot hardware ecosystems

At Apex, we actively encourage applications from individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences. If you meet most of the qualifications but not every single requirement, we still encourage you to apply. We believe transferable skills and hands-on experience can be just as valuable as a traditional career path.