Senior Space PCB Designer - High-Speed, Multilayer Expert

Viasat; Carlsbad (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 157,000; Full time

Job summary

Viasat is seeking a Senior PCB Designer on the Space Infrastructure team to design and deliver complex, high‑reliability printed circuit boards for next‑generation space systems.

You will own PCB layout from architectural trade studies through fabrication release, using Mentor Xpedition and CES, following IPC standards and DFx guidelines while collaborating with electrical, mechanical, RF, thermal, manufacturing and test teams. Mentoring junior designers is also part of the role.

Qualifications

• Associates degree in electrical engineering or equivalent experience.
• 5–8 years of PCB layout experience, including ownership of complex multilayer designs.
• 5+ years using Mentor Xpedition and CES.
• Schematic capture experience.
• Experience with high-speed digital, mixed-signal, and power layouts.
• Strong knowledge of signal integrity, power integrity and EMI/EMC.
• Experience producing fabrication and assembly packages with board houses.
• Willingness to travel up to 10% and US citizenship requirement.

Responsibilities

• Produce PCB layouts utilizing Mentor Graphics Xpedition.
• Own PCB layout for complex designs, including placement, routing, stack-up definition, and constraint management for digital, analog, RF, and power circuits
• Design and route high-layer-count boards (10+ layers) with controlled impedance, differential pairs, length matching, power integrity, and signal integrity considerations
• Collaborate closely with electrical, mechanical, RF, thermal, manufacturing, and test engineers during schematic development and design reviews
• Perform pre‑ and post‑layout SI/PI analysis, EMI/EMC risk mitigation, and layout trade studies to de‑risk designs early
• Generate and release complete fabrication and assembly deliverables (Gerber, ODB++, IPC‑2581, drill files, stack‑ups, drawings, and assembly outputs)
• Apply DFM/DFA/DFT best practices, incorporating feedback from fabrication and assembly partners to improve yield, cost, and schedule
• Create, validate, and maintain symbols, footprints, and 3D models, and work with libraries to ensure accuracy and reuse
• Support prototype bring‑up, debug, and iteration by working alongside hardware and test teams
• Help define and improve PCB design standards, constraints, and workflows across the Space Infrastructure organization
• Mentor junior designers and contribute to raising the technical bar for layout quality and execution speed

Skills

PCB layout

Schematic capture

Signal integrity

Power integrity

Cross-functional collaboration

Mentor Xpedition

Education

Associate's degree in Electrical Engineering

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Tools

Mentor Xpedition

CES

Job description

Viasat is seeking a Senior PCB Designer on the Space Infrastructure team to design and deliver complex, high‑reliability printed circuit boards for next‑generation space systems.

You will own PCB layout from architectural trade studies through fabrication release, using Mentor Xpedition and CES, following IPC standards and DFx guidelines while collaborating with electrical, mechanical, RF, thermal, manufacturing and test teams. Mentoring junior designers is also part of the role.