Staff NPI Engineer (PCBA)

Description

• Improve manufacturing operations to enhance efficiency, consistency, and cost-effectiveness while ensuring high product quality.
• Generate and maintain manufacturing documentation (BOMs, ECOs, test procedures, visual aids, specifications).
• Create, review, and submit engineering change orders (ECOs) to release design and process changes to improve manufacturability/serviceability.
• Partner with design engineers to review Gerbers/ODB++, schematics, and layouts for manufacturability and testability.
• Building more resilient homes with reliable backup
• Develop and implement second-sourcing strategies to drive cost reduction and ensure supply continuity for critical components and processes.
• Drive SMT line qualifications, reflow profile validation, selective soldering, AOI/X-ray coverage, conformal coating and other PCBA processes.
• Travel to CM sites (~25–40%) for builds, process qualifications, and troubleshooting.
• Drive value engineering and cost reduction activities to optimize product lifecycle costs.
• Making electrification upgrades possible
• Evaluate technical readiness before release and conduct Technical Readiness (TR) reviews with cross-functional teams.
• Designing a flexible and distributed electrical grid
• Define and implement PCBA test strategy (ICT, FCT, boundary scan, functional test fixtures) in collaboration with hardware and test engineering.
• Identify and qualify quick-turn vendors to support prototype and early build activities, ensuring rapid iterations and feedback into design.
• Conduct BOM risk assessment, component testing, second sourcing, and manage Product Change Notifications (PCN) and qualifications.
• Lead the NPI process for PCBAs and electronics subassemblies, from prototype to high-volume manufacturing.
• Enabling homes and vehicles powered by clean energy
• Apply DFx principles (DFM, DFT, DFQ, DFR, DFC) to electronic designs to ensure robust manufacturability, test coverage, and quality.
• Investigate and resolve issues with new designs and prototypes through assembly, testing, and system integration.

Requirements

• BS or MS in Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or equivalent discipline.
• Strong working knowledge of industry manufacturing standards such as IPC and JEDEC.
• Ability to establish technical direction through the investigation and evaluation of new manufacturing technologies.
• Proven track record driving PCBA NPI strategy at a fast-growing hardware company.
• Own technical deliverables for CM onboarding, including process requirements, yield targets, test coverage, and quality control plans.
• Experience with automation technologies and robotics in manufacturing processes to improve efficiency and scalability.
• Expertise in ECO, BOM, and deviation processes.
• Strong knowledge of complex system-level debugging and root cause analysis.
• Hands-on experience with DFM/DFT tools, Gerber/ODB++ analysis, and PCBA CAD data review.
• Experience with process development, characterization, and pFMEA.
• Deep knowledge of SMT processes, reflow soldering, wave/selective soldering, conformal coating, and in-circuit/functional test methods.
• Proficiency in DFx principles: DFM, DFT, DFQ, DFR, DFC.
• Knowledge of manufacturing, test, quality, and reliability best practices.
• Six Sigma Black Belt, or Lean Manufacturing certification.
• 8+ years of experience in NPI and PCBA manufacturing engineering

Benefits

Training + Development

Interview process

Visa Sponsorship

Security clearance