Wave Solder Engineer

Celestica; Plano (TX); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Celestica in Plano, TX seeks an SMT and Wave Solder Engineer to design, optimize, and maintain automated PCB assembly processes for high-yield production. You'll bridge electrical engineering and manufacturing, program SMT equipment, develop thermal profiles, perform DFMs, and drive continuous improvement using SPC and DOE methods.

The role requires collaboration with design teams and daily hands-on work with reflow ovens, pick-and-place machines, and wave soldering lines to ensure quality and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience with SMT and wave soldering processes and equipment is required.
• Familiarity with IPC standards relevant to electronic assemblies.

Responsibilities

• Design and optimize SMT and wave soldering processes for new products.
• Program and maintain SMT machines and wave soldering equipment.
• Collaborate on Design for Manufacturability (DFM) reviews to ensure manufacturability.
• Use SPC to monitor process stability and perform root cause analysis on defects (solder bridges, voids).
• Create SOPs and train operators and technicians on machine operation and process execution.

Skills

Solder paste behavior

Stencil design

Flux chemistry

Thermal management

IPC standards

DOE

Cp/Cpk analysis

Wave solder operations

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Pick-and-place machines

Screen printers

Wave soldering equipment

Job description

An SMT (Surface Mount Technology) and Wave Solder Engineer is responsible for designing, optimizing, and maintaining the automated processes used to assemble electronic components onto printed circuit boards (PCBs). This role bridges electrical engineering and manufacturing to ensure high-quality, high-yield production of both surface-mount and through-hole assemblies.

Core Responsibilities

• Process Development & Optimization: Design and implement SMT and wave soldering processes for new products. This includes creating thermal profiles for reflow and wave machines to ensure reliable solder joints without damaging components.
• Equipment Programming & Maintenance: Set up and program SMT machines (e.g., pick-and-place, screen printers) and wave/selective soldering equipment. They develop preventive maintenance schedules and coordinate repairs to minimize downtime.
• New Product Introduction (NPI): Collaborate with design teams to perform Design for Manufacturability (DFM) reviews, ensuring new products can be efficiently manufactured using existing equipment.
• Quality Control & Troubleshooting: Use Statistical Process Control (SPC) to monitor stability and perform root cause analysis on defects like solder bridges or voids.
• Training & Documentation: Create Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and work instructions, then train operators and technicians on correct machine operation and process execution.

Key Skills & Requirements

• Technical Knowledge: Deep understanding of solder paste behavior, stencil design, flux chemistry, and thermal management.
• Industry Standards: Proficiency with IPC standards, particularly IPC-A-610 (Acceptability of Electronic Assemblies) and IPC-J-STD-001 (Requirements for Soldered Electrical and Electronic Assemblies).
• Analytical Ability: Skilled in using data-driven tools like DOE (Design of Experiments) and Cp/Cpk analysis to validate process capability.
• Must currently/recently in a role responsible for daily wave solder operations which includes programming, maintaining, and developing fixtures for daily production.

Physical Demands

• 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.

Typical Experience

• 4 to 6 years in a similar role or industry.

Typical Education

Bachelor degree or consideration of an equivalent combination of education and experience.

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.

Celestica is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, pregnancy, genetic information, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other protected category under applicable federal, state, and local laws.

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.

Celestica is an E-Verify employer.