MKS Instruments, Inc.

Principal PCBA Manufacturing Engineer (Wilmington, MA)

MKS Instruments, Inc.$100K — $186K *
Manufacturing & Automotive
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering; Master's preferred.
  • Over 8 years of experience in PCBA manufacturing, test engineering, or hardware development.
  • Deep expertise in PCBA manufacturing, SMT processes, and test methodologies.
  • Proficient in schematic capture tools like Mentor Graphics/PADS and OrCAD.
  • Strong background in DFT and DFM principles.
  • Experience managing vendor relationships and providing technical support to contract manufacturers.
  • Ability to create detailed project plans.

Responsibilities

  • Collaborate with engineering, supply chain, and operations teams on PCBA assemblies.
  • Conduct DFM and DFT reviews to optimize PCBA layouts for production efficiency.
  • Provide remote training and troubleshooting support to global contract manufacturers.
  • Serve as a technical authority on SMT processes, such as solder paste printing and reflow profiling.
  • Lead the development of ICT test fixtures, equipment, and software.
  • Maintain documentation and control related to supplier changes for test processes.
  • Analyze test data for root-cause analysis and continuous improvement.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive health insurance (medical, dental, and vision).
  • 401(k) plan with company match.
  • Generous paid time off including 12 holidays, 15 vacation days, and sick leave.
  • 6 weeks of fully paid parental leave and adoption assistance.
  • Tuition reimbursement for continuing education.
Full Job Description
We are looking for an exceptional Principal PCBA (Printed Circuit Board Assembly) Manufacturing Engineer to lead the DFM (Design for Manufacturability) and DFT (Design for Testability) strategy throughout the entire NPI lifecycle, partnering closely with design engineering and global contract manufacturers to ensure every board is optimized for yield, test coverage, and factory readiness.  This role will be responsible for driving schematic‑level and layout‑level reviews, identifying manufacturability and testability risks before they reach the factory, and influencing design teams toward architectures that scale cleanly into production.  Success in this role requires deep expertise in PCBA processes and test methodologies, the ability to guide design teams with clarity and conviction, and the leadership to drive contract manufacturers toward disciplined, repeatable, high‑quality execution. What you will do is: • Collaborate with cross-functional teams (engineering, supply chain, operations) to ensure PCBA assemblies meet design and quality standards. • Conduct Design for Manufacturability (DFM) and Design for Testability (DFT) reviews to ensure PCBA layouts are optimized for production, reducing costs and assembly time and ensuring high yields. • Support global contract manufacturers with remote training, troubleshooting, and process optimization. • Serve as the technical authority for SMT processes, including solder paste printing, SPI, pick-and-place, and reflow profiling. • Lead ICT development and qualification of test fixtures, equipment, and software for production environments. • Maintain revision control, documentation, and review supplier changes (PCNs, Gage R&R) for test processes. • Analyze test data, drive root-cause analysis, and continuously improve test coverage, fault isolation, and throughput. • Maintain a list of chemistries used at each PCBA supplier What will you bring to the team, along with your knowledge in electrical engineering along with your enthusiasm to learn is: • Minimum of a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering degree is required, a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering degree is preferred. • 8+ years’ experience in PCBA manufacturing engineering, test engineering or hardware development  is required. • Subject matter expertise in PCBA manufacturing processes, SMT, PCBA test methodologies & inspection, PCBA design and board chemistry.  In depth knowledge of IPC standards related to PCBA manufacturing. • Experience with schematic capture and analysis applications such as Mentor Graphics/PADS, and OrCAD are required. • Experience with DFT (Design for Test) and DFM (Design for Manufacturing) principles is required. • Experience managing vendors and external design partners, as well as providing training and technical support to contract manufacturers (CMs) both onsite and remotely, is required. • Ability to create detailed project plans is required. Compensation and Benefits • Salary Pay Range: $100,414 - $186,482 per year. This range is a good faith estimate of the expected salary range for this position, based on a wide range of factors including qualifications, experience and training, operational and business needs and other considerations permitted by law.  • Bonus: This position is eligible for a discretionary annual bonus, in an amount to be determined by MKS [or as applicable]. • Benefits: MKS offers a comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance coverage (medical, dental and vision), 401(k) with company match, life and disability insurance, 12 paid holidays, sick time, 15 paid vacation days, [6 weeks fully paid] parental leave, adoption assistance and tuition reimbursement [and for participation in any stock programs, signing bonus, etc.

About MKS Instruments, Inc.

MKS Instruments, Inc. is a global provider of instruments, subsystems and process control solutions that measure, monitor, deliver, analyze, power and control critical parameters of advanced manufacturing processes to improve process performance and productivity for our customers. Our products are derived from our core competencies in pressure measurement and control, flow measurement and control, gas and vapor delivery, gas composition analysis, residual gas analysis, leak detection, control technology, ozone generation and delivery, RF & DC power, reactive gas generation, vacuum technology, photonics, sub-micron positioning, vibration isolation and optics. Our primary served markets include semiconductor capital equipment, general industrial, life and health sciences, research and defense.
Learn more about MKS Instruments, Inc.
Size
6,000 employees
Market Cap
$5.5 billion
Industry
Net Income
$350.1 million
5 Year Trend
+17.9%
Revenue
$2.3 billion
NASDAQ

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