Job Title: Senior DFM Engineer

Location: Palo Alto, CA or Irvine, CA
Type: Long-Term Contract (Onsite)

About the Role

We are seeking a highly experienced Senior DFM Engineer to lead Design for Excellence (DfX) initiatives, ensuring that manufacturability, testability, and assembly best practices are embedded into the design and development of PCBAs and Electronic Control Units. This role is critical in driving continuous improvement, optimizing designs for high-volume manufacturing, and partnering with cross-functional teams and contract manufacturers to ensure product scalability and reliability.

Key Responsibilities

Provide guidance to cross-functional teams to integrate Design for Excellence (DfX) principles throughout all design and development stages.

Act as the subject matter expert and champion for DfX methodologies.

Continuously improve and implement latest best practices, tools, and technologies for DfX.

Define manufacturability and assembly specifications for PCBAs and ECUs to ensure scalability and feasibility.

Partner with stakeholders to complete DFM, DFT, and DFA reviews, optimizing designs for high-volume production.

Proactively identify high-risk areas during the engineering and production design cycle.

Review BOMs, PCB panels, and stack-ups with internal teams and contract manufacturers.

Troubleshoot issues, conduct root cause analysis, and collaborate with design engineers to implement design changes.

Support vehicle launch processes by ensuring robust production readiness.

Must-Have Qualifications

10+ years of experience in PCBA manufacturing processes.

10+ years of experience in electronics manufacturing with proven expertise in solving complex issues through structured problem-solving techniques.

10+ years of experience evaluating electronic components, packages, and solder interconnects (low and high voltage).

Strong knowledge of PCBA materials properties and solder joint metallurgy.

Proficiency in CAD tools, with experience in PCBA/FPC layout review and design optimization.

Hands-on experience with Failure Analysis of electronic modules.

Proven ability to propose new/alternative manufacturing test methods to improve efficiency and quality.

Strong leadership in sustaining and elevating supplier manufacturing test processes.

Experience working directly with Contract Manufacturers (CMs) in high-volume PCBA production environments.

Excellent cross-functional collaboration, communication, and stakeholder management skills.

Ability to travel to CM locations as needed.

Strong team player with the ability to manage ambiguity, oversee multiple projects, and deliver results on time.