Process Engineer – PCBA Assembly

Position Summary

Rocket EMS is seeking an experienced Process Engineer to develop, refine, and improve manufacturing processes for high-reliability printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs), with a primary focus on IPC Class 3 aerospace and defense products.

This position is responsible for improving process capability, product quality, manufacturing efficiency, and cost performance throughout the PCBA production cycle. The Process Engineer will work closely with Manufacturing, Quality, Engineering, Program Management, Test, and Production personnel to identify process weaknesses, implement sustainable improvements, and ensure compliance with customer, regulatory, and industry requirements.

A significant area of responsibility will be the Polymerics department, including conformal coating, masking, staking, underfill, encapsulation, curing, and associated inspection processes.

Key Responsibilities

Process Development and Improvement

• Develop, qualify, document, and continuously improve PCBA manufacturing processes for IPC Class 3 aerospace and defense assemblies.

• Evaluate existing production processes and identify opportunities to improve quality, throughput, repeatability, capacity, and cost.

• Establish and refine process parameters, operating windows, inspection requirements, and acceptance criteria.

• Lead process improvement projects using Lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, statistical process control, design of experiments, and structured problem-solving methods.

• Develop and maintain process flow diagrams, PFMEAs, control plans, manufacturing instructions, and standard operating procedures.

• Ensure process changes are properly validated, documented, communicated, and incorporated into production documentation.

• Support new equipment evaluation, selection, installation, qualification, and production release.

• Perform capability studies and use production data to identify variation, trends, and potential process risks.

• Ensure processes remain consistent with customer drawings, specifications, approved deviations, and contractual requirements.

PCBA Manufacturing Processes

Provide technical support and process ownership across manufacturing operations, including:

• Solder paste printing and solder paste inspection

• SMT placement and component handling

• Reflow profiling and thermal process control

• Automated optical inspection

• X-ray and automated X-ray inspection

• Through-hole assembly and hand soldering

• Selective soldering and wave soldering

• Manual and automated cleaning processes

• Rework and repair operations

• Mechanical assembly and hardware installation

• Electrical test, functional test, and debug support

• Pre-coat preparation and cleanliness verification

• Final inspection and product acceptance

Polymerics and Conformal Coating

• Serve as a technical resource for Polymerics processes, with a strong emphasis on conformal coating of Class 3 aerospace PCBAs.

• Develop and refine processes for masking, surface preparation, conformal coating application, demasking, curing, UV inspection, thickness verification, and final acceptance.

• Support associated Polymerics operations, including staking, bonding, underfill, encapsulation, potting, and adhesive application.

• Establish and control critical material and process requirements, including viscosity, mixing, pot life, working time, storage conditions, application thickness, cure temperature, cure duration, humidity, and environmental exposure.

• Evaluate coating coverage, adhesion, bubbles, voids, contamination, delamination, excessive thickness, insufficient coverage, masking defects, and other workmanship concerns.

• Improve coating transfer efficiency and reduce material waste, touch-up, rework, and cycle time.

• Develop standardized coating profiles and application methods for automated and manual coating processes.

• Ensure Polymerics processes comply with applicable customer specifications, IPC requirements, material manufacturer requirements, and aerospace quality standards.

• Assist with the evaluation and qualification of new coatings, adhesives, masking materials, dispensing equipment, curing systems, and inspection methods.

• Work with Quality and Production personnel to investigate coating-related defects and implement permanent corrective actions.

Cost Analysis and Manufacturing Efficiency

• Perform detailed cost analysis of PCBA manufacturing processes, including labor, material consumption, machine time, tooling, inspection, rework, scrap, and yield loss.

• Identify the true cost drivers associated with specific assemblies and manufacturing operations.

• Develop cost-reduction recommendations without compromising Class 3 workmanship, reliability, traceability, or customer requirements.

• Analyze actual production performance against quoted labor standards and estimated manufacturing costs.

• Establish and maintain accurate labor standards, cycle times, equipment utilization assumptions, and process capacity models.

• Evaluate the financial impact and expected return on investment for new equipment, automation, tooling, and process changes.

• Conduct make-versus-buy analyses when appropriate.

• Track savings generated through process improvements and confirm that projected savings are realized.

• Support estimating and quoting activities by providing accurate process assumptions, labor content, equipment requirements, tooling costs, and manufacturing risk assessments.

• Partner with Program Management and Operations to address assemblies that are performing below planned margin, yield, or throughput expectations.

Quality and Corrective Action

• Lead or support investigations involving defects, escapes, nonconformances, customer returns, and recurring manufacturing issues.

• Use structured root-cause analysis methods such as 5 Whys, fishbone analysis, fault-tree analysis, and design of experiments.

• Develop corrective and preventive actions that address the underlying process failure rather than only the immediate defect.

• Support first article inspections, process validations, customer audits, and internal quality audits.

• Monitor defect trends, first-pass yield, rework, scrap, process capability, and other key manufacturing indicators.

• Work with Quality Engineering to establish measurable process controls and ensure continued compliance.

• Provide technical input for material review board decisions, deviations, and rework instructions.

• Maintain the traceability and documentation discipline required for aerospace and defense products.

New Product Introduction and Production Support

• Participate in new product introduction reviews to identify manufacturing risks before production release.

• Review customer documentation, bills of material, drawings, assembly notes, and special process requirements for manufacturability.

• Develop manufacturing processes, tooling, fixtures, profiles, and work instructions for new products.

• Support prototype, pilot, first article, and production builds.

• Provide timely technical support to Production when process issues affect WIP movement, schedule performance, or product quality.

• Coordinate process trials and ensure engineering activities are completed with minimal disruption to production.

• Train operators, technicians, inspectors, and supervisors on new or revised processes.

• Maintain a visible presence on the production floor and work directly with employees performing the processes.

Performance Measures

Performance for this position may include:

• First-pass yield

• Defect and escape reduction

• Rework and scrap reduction

• Conformal coating defect rate

• Polymerics cycle time and throughput

• Process capability and repeatability

• Labor efficiency and standard-hour accuracy

• On-time completion of corrective actions

• Cost savings from approved process improvements

• Successful qualification and release of new processes

• Reduction in manufacturing constraints and WIP aging

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Materials Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical discipline.

• Three or more years of process or manufacturing engineering experience in PCBA production, electronics manufacturing, or a comparable high-reliability environment.

• Working knowledge of SMT, reflow, soldering, cleaning, inspection, rework, and PCBA assembly processes.

• Experience supporting IPC Class 3 or similarly regulated, high-reliability products.

• Demonstrated ability to analyze manufacturing data, identify process variation, and implement measurable improvements.

• Experience performing labor, material, yield, scrap, and process cost analysis.

• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, bills of material, assembly instructions, customer specifications, and technical data sheets.

• Strong root-cause analysis, troubleshooting, technical writing, and project-management skills.

• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel and other data-analysis and reporting tools.

• Ability to communicate effectively with production employees, engineers, managers, customers, and suppliers.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience manufacturing aerospace, defense, spaceflight, medical, or other high-reliability PCBAs.

• Hands-on experience with conformal coating, masking, dispensing, staking, underfill, encapsulation, or potting processes.

• Familiarity with IPC-A-610 Class 3 and J-STD-001 Class 3 requirements.

• Familiarity with IPC-CC-830, coating material requirements, and aerospace-specific conformal coating specifications.

• Experience working within an AS9100-certified quality management system.

• Certification as an IPC Specialist, Trainer, or equivalent.

• Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or statistical process control experience.

• Experience with automated conformal coating equipment, selective coating systems, dispensing systems, UV inspection, and curing equipment.

• Experience with PFMEA, control plans, design of experiments, process capability analysis, and gauge repeatability and reproducibility studies.

• Experience developing capital equipment justifications and return-on-investment analyses.

Work Environment

This position operates primarily in an electronics manufacturing environment and requires regular interaction with production equipment, chemicals, coatings, adhesives, and curing processes. The Process Engineer must be able to follow all ESD, safety, chemical-handling, personal protective equipment, and controlled-process requirements.

The position requires regular time on the manufacturing floor, including observing processes, conducting trials, collecting data, troubleshooting equipment, and working directly with operators and technicians.

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.
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