Senior Manager PCB Front End Planning & CAM

Gorilla Circuits; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Gorilla Circuits is seeking a Director of Front End Engineering to lead PCB fabrication front-end activities, including CAM, tooling, and DFM. You will manage a team to ensure timely, cost-effective preparation of jobs for manufacturing, aligning customer requirements with production capabilities.

The role collaborates with Sales, Planning, Production, and Quality to optimize workflows, implement new technologies, and drive continuous improvement across front-end operations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Mechanical Engineering or related field.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of front-end engineers, CAM operators, and DFM specialists.

Skills

Leadership

Team management

Analytical

Communication

Problem-solving

Education

Bachelors in Electrical/Mechanical Engineering or related field

Tools

CAM software

Impedance modeling tools

Job description

Job Summary

The Director of Front End Engineering leads and oversees all front-end engineering operations related to PCB fabrication, including CAM, tooling, panelization, DFM, and customer data review. This role is responsible for managing the Front End team to ensure accurate, timely, and cost-effective preparation of jobs for manufacturing. The DFE collaborates with Sales, Planning, Production, and Quality teams to ensure alignment between customer requirements and production capabilities.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of front-end engineers, CAM operators, and DFM specialists.
• Review and optimize engineering workflows and processes for maximum efficiency and quality.
• Ensure accurate and complete processing of incoming PCB data packages
• Establish and enforce best practices for CAM editing, stackup design, impedance modeling, and tooling.
• Work with cross-functional teams to resolve technical issues during job planning or fabrication.
• Maintain and improve documentation and process control related to front-end operations.
• Serve as the technical escalation point for complex design issues and customer requirements.
• Drive implementation of new technologies, automation, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Support the quoting team with technical input on complex builds.
• Ensure compliance with industry standards
• Partner with Quality and Sales teams to address customer concerns or questions related to data, stackups, or manufacturability.
• Monitor performance metrics for the department and report to executive leadership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related technical field. Advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum 10 years of experience in PCB manufacturing, with at least 5 years in front-end or CAM engineering leadership.
• Deep understanding of PCB fabrication processes, design rules, and front-end workflows.
• Proficiency in CAM software
• Knowledge of impedance modeling tools and stackup design.
• Experience with industry specifications.
• Proven leadership and team management skills.
• Strong analytical, communication, and problem-solving abilities.

Job Type: Full-time

Work Location: In person