Staff Engineer, Hardware Design

Celestica Inc.; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Celestica Inc. seeks a Staff Engineer, Hardware Design to own the mass production of high‑complexity PCBA systems. You will bridge customer requirements and shop floor execution, guiding NPI transitions to high volume manufacturing for aerospace, defense, and AI infrastructure.

You will lead cross‑functional teams, own SMT/PCB fabrication challenges, and drive process optimization with DFx feedback, supplier management, and root cause analysis.

Qualifications

• 7–10+ years in electronics manufacturing or high‑reliability hardware production.
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Manufacturing, Electrical, or Mechanical).
• Experience leading NPI and production launches and transitioning to high‑volume manufacturing.

Responsibilities

• Lead deployment of complex NPI programs and production line setup.
• Provide technical guidance to process engineers and technicians; SME for SMT and PCB fabrication.
• Develop and refine manufacturing processes including stencil design, solder paste selection, and reflow profiling.
• Review customer hardware specs to provide DFM, DFA, and DFT feedback.
• Manage supplier technical relationships and approve multi‑layer stack‑ups.
• Lead 8D investigations and RCCA for production escapes; use 3D X‑Ray and cross‑sectioning to diagnose defects.

Skills

SMT

PCB fabrication

3D X-Ray

Cross-sectioning

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Tools

AOI

SPI

Stencil design

Job description

Staff Engineer, Hardware Design

Date: Oct 26, 2026

Location: San Jose, CA, US

Summary

The Staff Engineer, PCB Manufacturing (Production)is the primary technical authority responsible for the physical realization and mass production of high-complexity PCBA systems. This role bridges the gap between customer design requirements and factory-floor execution. You will lead the transition of new products (NPI) into high-volume manufacturing, ensuring that all assemblies meet stringent reliability, yield, and quality standards for industries such as Aerospace, Defense, and AI Infrastructure.

Detailed Description

Detailed Responsibilities

NPI & Production Launch:Lead the deployment of strategic, complex New Product Introduction (NPI) programs. Coordinate site-wide efforts to set up production lines, including technical ownership of the manufacturing sequence and assembly flow.

Technical Leadership:Provide high-level technical guidance to a team of process engineers and technicians. Act as the subject matter expert (SME) for SMT and PCB fabrication challenges.

Process Engineering & Optimization:Develop and refine manufacturing processes, including stencil design, solder paste selection, reflow profiling (Convection/Vapor Phase), wave/selective soldering, and AOI/SPI parameters.

Advanced DFX (Design for Excellence):Review and interpret customer hardware specifications to provide deep-diveDFM (Manufacturing), DFA (Assembly), and DFT (Test)feedback.

Supplier Technical Management:Own technical relationships with external PCB fabricators. Approve multi-layer stack-ups and resolve fabrication-level issues such as plating quality and material compatibility.

Root Cause & Failure Analysis:Lead 8D investigations and RCCA for production escapes or field failures. Utilize tools like3D X-Ray and cross-sectioningto diagnose solder joint and fabrication defects.

• May manage relationships with key vendors/partners.
• Research systems ideas and will draw up plans for these systems
• Design, modify and implement systems that meet customer and Celestica needs.
• Create designs in line with Celesticas procedures, regulations and customer standards
• Keep up to date with relevant industry knowledge and regulations
• Solve complex problems
• Liaison with suppliers, customers, contractors, and other internal teams.
• Recommend system modifications

Physical Demands

Physical Demands & Environment

Factory Floor Presence:Requires frequent presence on the production floor to troubleshoot equipment and audit processes.

Manual Handling:Occasional handling of hardware and microscopic inspection. Must be able to lift up to 25 lbs unassisted.

• Duties of this position are performed in a normal office environment.
• Duties may require extended periods of sitting and sustained visual concentration on a computer monitor or on numbers and other detailed data.
• Repetitive manual movements (e.g., data entry, using a computer mouse, using a calculator, etc.) are frequently required.
• Occasional travel may be required.

Salary Range: $150k-$200k Annually

The salary range described in this posting is an estimate by the Company, and may change based on several factors, including but not limited to a change in the duties covered by the job posting, or the credentials, experience or geographic jurisdiction of the successful candidate.

The stated range includes Base Salary and target Short-Term Incentive (STI) compensation only. A comprehensive benefits package is offered in addition to this range.

Typical Experience

Experience

Experience:7 to 10+ years of related experience in an electronics manufacturing (EMS) environment or high-reliability hardware production (Space/Defense).

Typical Education

• Education:Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Manufacturing, Electrical, or Mechanical).

Educational Requirements may vary by Geography

Notes

This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities of the position. Employees are held accountable for all duties of the job. Job duties and the % of time identified for any function are subject to change at any time.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.
Celestica's policy on equal employment opportunity prohibits discrimination based on race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran or disability status, or other characteristics protected by law.
This policy applies to hiring, promotion, discharge, pay, fringe benefits, job training, classification, referral and other aspects of employment and also states that retaliation against a person who files a charge of discrimination, participates in a discrimination proceeding, or otherwise opposes an unlawful employment practice will not be tolerated. All information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

COMPANY OVERVIEW:
Celestica (NYSE, TSX: CLS) enables the world's best brands. Through our recognized customer-centric approach, we partner with leading companies in Aerospace and Defense, Communications, Enterprise, HealthTech, Industrial, Capital Equipment and Energy to deliver solutions for their most complex challenges. As a leader in design, manufacturing, hardware platform and supply chain solutions, Celestica brings global expertise and insight at every stage of product development – from drawing board to full-scale production and after-market services for products from advanced medical devices, to highly engineered aviation systems, to next-generation hardware platform solutions for the Cloud. Headquartered in Toronto, with talented teams spanning 40+ locations in 13 countries across the Americas, Europe and Asia, we imagine, develop and deliver a better future with our customers.

Celestica would like to thank all applicants, however, only qualified applicants will be contacted.
Celestica does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruitment agencies or fee based recruitment services.

This location is a US ITAR facility and these positions will involve the release of export controlled goods either directly to employees or through the employee's movement within the facility. As such, Celestica will require necessary information from all applicants upon an applicant's acceptance of employment to determine if any export control exemptions or licenses must be filed.

Nearest Major Market: San Jose
Nearest Secondary Market: Palo Alto
Job Segment: Facilities, Aerospace Engineering, Manufacturing Engineer, Electronics Engineer, Design Engineer, Operations, Engineering