We are currently seeking an experienced Process Engineer to join our manufacturing team in Austin. This role provides senior-level technical leadership for front-end (FE) production processes, with responsibility for process stability, equipment utilization, quality, cost, and readiness for high-volume manufacturing. The Process Engineer will lead complex problem-solving, equipment and product qualification, continuous improvement, and new product introduction initiatives in a production environment involving PCB fabrication and printed circuit board assembly (PCBA).
Location: Austin, TX
Duties and Responsibilities:- Production Process Leadership: Own, develop, document, and continuously improve PCB fabrication and PCBA production processes, including SMT, solder paste printing, component placement, reflow, wave/selective soldering, cleaning, inspection, and test-related process controls.
- FE Production Performance: Ensure front-end production output and maximum equipment utilization are achieved at expected quality and cost by monitoring throughput, cycle time, downtime, capacity, yield, scrap, and rework performance.
- Root Cause and Corrective Action: Lead structured root cause investigations and corrective actions for FE defects and complex PCBA issues, including solder defects, placement errors, opens, shorts, tombstoning, bridging, contamination, insufficient wetting, and delamination.
- Equipment and Product Qualification: Plan and execute equipment, process, material, tooling, and product qualifications; establish acceptance criteria, validate capability, document results, and support release to production.
- NPI and Mass Production Readiness: Lead manufacturing readiness for new product introduction and production ramp-up, partnering with design engineering, quality, test, operations, and supply chain on DFM reviews, process validation, risk reduction, product qualification, capacity, and scalable production controls.
- Process Controls and Documentation: Define and maintain critical process parameters, control plans, SOPs, work instructions, process specifications, process flow maps, risk assessments, FMEAs, and production standards to ensure repeatable and compliant operations.
- Tooling, Jigs, and Stencils: Develop, review, qualify, and continuously improve jigs, fixtures, pallets, carriers, and SMT stencils to strengthen process stability, solder paste deposition quality, manufacturability, ergonomics, and repeatable production performance.
- Continuous Improvement: Lead Lean, Six Sigma, and data-driven improvement projects that increase equipment utilization and throughput, improve line balance, reduce cycle time and defects, and identify sustainable cost-reduction opportunities.
- Equipment Lifecycle Support: Evaluate and implement production equipment and technologies, establish preventive maintenance, calibration, verification, and spare-parts requirements, and partner with maintenance and suppliers to resolve equipment-related constraints.
- Supplier and Vendor Coordination: Coordinate with external suppliers on equipment, tooling, materials, services, and technical deliverables; support quotation reviews, purchase documentation, and timely processing of approved vendor payment requirements.
- Cross-Functional Leadership and Compliance: Provide technical guidance to production and engineering partners, drive actions to closure, and ensure processes meet internal standards, customer requirements, IPC workmanship criteria, ESD controls, environmental requirements, and applicable safety regulations.
Requirements- Education: Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Mechanical, Manufacturing, Industrial, Materials Engineering, or related technical field.
- Senior-Level Manufacturing Experience: Substantial process engineering experience in PCB fabrication, PCBA, SMT assembly, or electronics manufacturing within a high-volume production environment, including ownership of complex production issues and improvement initiatives.
- PCBA Process Expertise: Advanced working knowledge of solder paste printing, component placement, reflow profiling, wave/selective soldering, cleaning, inspection, rework, and test-related process controls.
- Quality and Reliability: Strong knowledge of IPC workmanship standards, ESD controls, quality systems, statistical process control, process capability, control plans, and electronics manufacturing best practices.
- Analytical Problem-Solving: Demonstrated ability to analyze SPC trends, first-pass yield, equipment utilization, capacity, defect Pareto data, scrap, rework, and downtime to determine root causes and implement sustainable corrective actions.
- Improvement Methods: Hands-on experience using 5 Why, fishbone diagrams, 8D, DMAIC, FMEA, Lean, and Six Sigma methods to lead measurable process improvements.
- NPI and Qualification: Experience leading manufacturing readiness, DFM reviews, process validation, equipment and product qualification, risk assessment, and high-volume production ramp-up.
- Equipment and Tooling: Experience qualifying production equipment and developing or improving SMT stencils, tooling, fixtures, jigs, pallets, and carriers, including maintenance, calibration, verification, and spare-parts considerations.
- Technical Documentation: Ability to create and control clear SOPs, work instructions, process specifications, flow maps, qualification reports, troubleshooting guides, and manufacturing control documentation.
- Software and Data: Proficiency with Microsoft Office and experience with manufacturing systems, statistical analysis tools, MES/ERP platforms, or data visualization tools used for process monitoring and decision-making.
- Leadership and Collaboration: Strong communication, project leadership, and cross-functional collaboration skills, with the ability to influence production, quality, test, maintenance, supply chain, design engineering, headquarters teams, and external suppliers.
- Production Support: Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment, respond to urgent production needs, make sound technical decisions, and drive actions to closure with minimal supervision.
