Senior SMT Technician: Space Electronics & High Reliability

Northwood Space; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 34,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

Northwood Space is seeking an SMT Technician to own the setup, programming, and performance of our surface mount line across production and new product introduction (NPI) builds. This role is critical to delivering high-reliability electronics on schedule and at scale, with direct impact on our ability to deploy next-generation space communication systems.

You will keep print, placement, reflow, and inspection equipment running at peak performance, catch defects before they move downstream, and

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• 5+ years SMT electronics manufacturing experience.
• Hands-on experience with SMT equipment setup and operation.
• Experience programming/editing SMT placement or inspection programs.
• Experience creating travelers, BOMs, work instructions, and assembly drawings.

Responsibilities

• Set up and operate SMT equipment, including screen printers, pick-and-place, reflow ovens, SPI, AOI, and X-ray, including feeder setup, component verification, and changeovers per work instructions
• Create, debug, and optimize programs for pick-and-place, screen printer, SPI, AOI, and X-ray equipment
• Configure and tune process parameters such as nozzles, conveyor speeds, print settings, and reflow profiles
• Perform preventive maintenance, cleaning, calibration, and repairs, and partner with Engineering to diagnose and resolve equipment issues
• Inspect solder quality using microscopes, AOI, and X-ray to IPC-A-610 standards, documenting defects and root causes
• Support production and NPI builds, assist technicians and Engineering with technical issues, and drive continuous improvement of SOPs and processes

Skills

SMT electronics manufacturing

Equipment setup and operation

Program editing for SMT equipment

Travelers, BOMs, WIs, drawings

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Tools

Fuji placement

Heller reflow

Nordson CyberOptics SPI/AOI

Screen printer

Pick-and-place

Reflow ovens

AOI

X-ray inspection

Job description

Northwood Space is seeking an SMT Technician to own the setup, programming, and performance of our surface mount line across production and new product introduction (NPI) builds. This role is critical to delivering high-reliability electronics on schedule and at scale, with direct impact on our ability to deploy next-generation space communication systems.

You will keep print, placement, reflow, and inspection equipment running at peak performance, catch defects before they move downstream, and