PCBA DFM Engineer

Job Summary

We are seeking a PCBA Design for Manufacturing (DFM) Engineer to ensure our next generation of hardware is designed for reliable, scalable manufacturing. You will bring manufacturing expertise into the design process, resolve risks before boards are released, and establish the design rules, documentation, and review practices that support successful production ramps.

You will work closely with Electrical Engineering, PCB Layout, Mechanical, Thermal, Power, Test, and Manufacturing teams to prepare products for production across our internal SMT operation and external manufacturing partners. The ideal candidate combines strong PCBA manufacturing knowledge with disciplined documentation, clear technical communication, and practical experience using AI tools to improve engineering workflows.

Key Responsibilities

• Own PCBA DFM reviews: Lead manufacturability reviews from early design through production release, evaluating component placement, footprints, spacing, solderability, assembly access, inspection coverage, and rework feasibility.
• Drive manufacturing risks to closure: Translate review findings into actionable design changes, establish owners and deadlines, and verify implementation before builds and production release.
• Establish manufacturing guidelines: Develop and maintain DFM rules, checklists, and review milestones that reflect the capabilities of internal SMT operations and external manufacturing partners.
• Maintain engineering documentation: Keep review records, issue trackers, design decisions, manufacturing requirements, and lessons learned accurate, version-controlled, and easy to retrieve.
• Support manufacturing readiness: Partner with design and process engineering teams to identify assembly challenges early, distinguish design limitations from process development needs, and prepare products for repeatable production at volume.
• Collaborate with manufacturing partners: Evaluate supplier DFM feedback, resolve technical questions, and align manufacturing requirements across internal operations and contract manufacturers.
• Support prototype and NPI builds: Investigate design-related assembly issues and incorporate findings into subsequent board revisions, manufacturing guidelines, and future products.
• Improve yield and manufacturing cost: Use build results, inspection data, and failure analysis to reduce recurring defects, late design changes, board respins, scrap, and rework.
• Improve testability and inspection coverage: Partner with Test Engineering to address test access, design-for-test requirements, and inspection limitations before production release.
• Apply AI and automation to engineering workflows: Use AI tools to develop technical reports, summarize DFM and build findings, and create lightweight applications for documentation, issue tracking, and data analysis. Validate outputs for technical accuracy and protect sensitive engineering information.

You may be a good fit if you have (Must-have qualifications)

• A degree in electrical, mechanical, manufacturing, or materials engineering, or equivalent practical experience.
• Experience in PCBA DFM, manufacturing engineering, or hardware NPI, with direct involvement in moving complex electronics from design into production.
• Strong understanding of SMT assembly processes, including stencil design, solder paste printing, component placement, reflow, inspection, and rework.
• Experience reviewing PCB layouts, component footprints, assembly drawings, bills of materials, and manufacturing release packages.
• Knowledge of manufacturability challenges associated with high-density assemblies, fine-pitch components, and large BGA packages.
• The ability to distinguish issues that require design changes from those that can be addressed through manufacturing process development.
• Strong documentation and organizational skills, including managing revision history, tracking reviews and action items through closure, and producing clear technical reports for engineering and business stakeholders.
• Practical experience using AI tools for technical reporting, analysis, automation, or application development, with sound judgment when reviewing generated outputs.
• Experience working directly with design engineers and contract manufacturers to resolve technical issues.
• Familiarity with IPC-A-610, J-STD-001, and relevant PCB design and fabrication standards.
• Strong ownership, clear communication, and the ability to prioritize manufacturing risks across concurrent programs.

Strong candidates may also have experience with (Nice-to-have qualifications)

• High-performance compute, accelerator, server, or networking hardware.
• High-layer-count PCBs, HDI structures, via-in-pad designs, and board or package warpage.
• Thermally demanding or high-power assemblies.
• Establishing DFM guidelines and formal design review processes.
• Hands-on solder paste inspection, AOI, X-ray inspection, and assembly failure analysis.
• Supporting both internal SMT operations and external manufacturing partners.
• Python, SQL, or similar tools for engineering data analysis, automation, and application development.
• Machine learning applications in manufacturing, such as defect classification, anomaly detection, yield prediction, or automated inspection.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision packages with generous premium coverage
• $500 per month credit for waiving medical benefits
• Housing subsidy of $2,500 per month for those living within walking distance of the office
• Relocation support for those moving to San Jose (Santana Row)
• Various wellness benefits covering fitness, mental health, and more
• Daily lunch and dinner in our office
• Unlimited compute budget subject to ROI justification

How we’re different

Etched believes in the Bitter Lesson. We are the first inference-focused frontier AI system, betting early on transformer and transformer-like architectures and on increasing model sizes. Our addressable market is the entirety of inference, unlike many of our competitors.

We are a fully in-person team in San Jose (Santana Row), and greatly value engineering skills. We do not have boundaries between engineering and research, and we expect all of our technical staff to contribute to both and work across disciplines as needed.