Manufacturing Engineer - PCBA

About the Role

Responsibilities

• Lead DFM and DFA reviews for new and revised products, identifying design features that affect assembly quality, repeatability, cost, and production capability.
• Evaluate component spacing and orientation, land patterns, thermal characteristics, panelization, tooling access, soldering accessibility, inspection visibility, coating access, and mechanical assembly requirements.
• Review customer manufacturing packages, including assembly drawings, BOMs, schematics, PCB fabrication data, specifications, and engineering changes; resolve missing, conflicting, or unclear requirements.
• Coordinate manufacturability recommendations with customer engineering and Program Management, obtaining required approvals before implementing changes to customer-controlled designs or requirements.
• Lead manufacturing engineering activities for NPI, including feasibility assessments, readiness reviews, pilot builds, risk closure, and transition into sustained production.
• Define and maintain the overall manufacturing sequence, master routings, labor assumptions, tooling requirements, and production documentation requirements with input from Process Engineering.
• Coordinate complete manufacturing packages so that approved drawings, revisions, routings, tooling, and process instructions are available and aligned before production release.
• Assess the manufacturing impact of ECOs, component substitutions, and design revisions, including effects on work in process, tooling, process qualification, inspection, and test.
• Establish product-level tooling and fixture requirements; coordinate development and qualification with Process Engineering, Test Engineering, suppliers, and equipment vendors.
• Partner with Test Engineering on design for testability, test access, fixture integration, coverage requirements, and the placement of test operations within the manufacturing flow.
• Lead resolution of complex manufacturing issues involving product design, material compatibility, tolerance interactions, or multiple production processes.
• Coordinate manufacturing risk reviews across the full assembly flow, ensuring process PFMEAs and control plans address risks at the interfaces between operations.
• Develop capacity assessments and manufacturing improvement plans involving equipment capability, production layout, automation, material flow, and production scale-up.
• Support equipment and technology selection through technical evaluations, cost-benefit analysis, capital recommendations, and qualification planning.
• Analyze product-level yield, manufacturing cost, labor performance, rework, and scrap to prioritize improvements and verify business results.
• Support quoting and program planning with manufacturing feasibility input, tooling costs, labor estimates, and technical risk assessments.
• Support customer technical reviews, audits, and manufacturing transfers while ensuring applicable quality, safety, ESD, and customer requirements are incorporated into manufacturing plans.

Qualifications

• Education
• Bachelor’s degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related field preferred.
• Equivalent electronics manufacturing experience with demonstrated DFM, NPI, and manufacturing planning responsibility considered.
• 3+ years of manufacturing engineering experience in PCBA or electronics manufacturing.
• Experience performing DFM/DFA reviews and translating customer product requirements into manufacturing plans.
• Experience leading or coordinating NPI builds, manufacturing readiness activities, and transition to sustained production.
• Broad understanding of SMT, through-hole assembly, soldering, cleaning, inspection, test integration, conformal coating, and mechanical assembly.
• Experience managing manufacturing documentation, engineering changes, routings, and product configuration.
• Working knowledge of applicable IPC-A-610 and J-STD-001 requirements, including Class 2 and Class 3 applications.
• Ability to interpret and evaluate assembly drawings, BOMs, schematics, PCB design data, mechanical tolerances, and customer specifications.
• Strong DFM/DFA analysis and ability to communicate practical design recommendations to customers and internal teams.
• Ability to develop complete manufacturing plans and coordinate technical work across departments.
• Strong problem-solving skills for issues involving design, materials, tooling, and interactions between manufacturing processes.
• Familiarity with CAD/CAM or DFM review tools, engineering change systems, and ERP/MES platforms.
• Working knowledge of PFMEA, Lean manufacturing, process capability, and structured improvement methods.
• Ability to evaluate technical alternatives using quality, cost, capacity, and schedule considerations.
• Strong technical writing, project coordination, and customer communication skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and manufacturing documentation systems.

Experience

• Experience with manufacturing cost analysis, capacity planning, equipment justification, or automation projects preferred.
• Experience in high-reliability electronics manufacturing, including aerospace or defense applications, preferred.

Skills

• Ability to interpret and evaluate assembly drawings, BOMs, schematics, PCB design data, mechanical tolerances, and customer specifications.
• Strong DFM/DFA analysis and ability to communicate practical design recommendations to customers and internal teams.
• Ability to develop complete manufacturing plans and coordinate technical work across departments.
• Strong problem-solving skills for issues involving design, materials, tooling, and interactions between manufacturing processes.
• Familiarity with CAD/CAM or DFM review tools, engineering change systems, and ERP/MES platforms.
• Working knowledge of PFMEA, Lean manufacturing, process capability, and structured improvement methods.
• Ability to evaluate technical alternatives using quality, cost, capacity, and schedule considerations.
• Strong technical writing, project coordination, and customer communication skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and manufacturing documentation systems.

Benefits

• 401(k) with company match
• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance
• Paid time off
• Career growth opportunities in high-reliability electronics manufacturing

Schedule

• 8-hour shift, Monday–Friday
• Overtime and weekends as needed
• Pay Range
• $75,000 — $95,000 USD
• ITAR/EAR Compliance: Due to the nature of the work performed at Rocket EMS, this position may require access to export-controlled technical data or technology. The successful candidate must be eligible to access such information under applicable U.S. export-control laws or be eligible for any required government authorization.
• Rocket EMS will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the California Fair Chance Act. Candidates are not required to disclose criminal history or participate in a background check unless and until a conditional offer of employment has been made. Any final offer of employment may be conditioned on completion of a background check, consistent with applicable law. #zr

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related field preferred.
• Experience with manufacturing cost analysis, capacity planning, equipment justification, or automation projects preferred.
• Experience in high-reliability electronics manufacturing, including aerospace or defense applications, preferred.