PCB Design Engineer

A Principal PCB Design Engineer is responsible for creating, optimizing, and maintaining printed circuit board (PCB) layouts that form the backbone of electronic devices. They work closely with hardware and mechanical engineers to ensure designs meet performance, reliability, manufacturability, and compliance requirements.  The Principal PCB Design Engineer establishes library rules for electrical components used in circuit card designs.  The Principal PCB Design Engineer maintains a strong working relationship with outside Printed Circuit Board vendors to establish standard PCB guidelines that meet industry standards.

• Design & Development: Create PCB symbols, footprints, pad stacks, layouts and prototypes to meet project specifications, using CAD tools such as Altium Designer, or Siemens Expedition  
• Schematic & Footprint Creation: Develop schematic symbols and component footprints for accurate PCB integration.
• Establish PCB Guidelines: Establish and maintain PCB guidelines for company.  Ensure PCB designs meet industry and approved vendor standards.
• Documentation: Prepare fabrication and assembly drawings, Gerber files, BOMs, and revision-controlled design documents  
• Collaboration: Work with cross-functional teams (hardware, mechanical, manufacturing) to align PCB design with product goals  
• Compliance & Standards: Ensure designs meet IPC, JEDEC, EMC, UL, CE, and other relevant standards  
• Maintenance & Upgrades: Review and update designs for improved performance, cost efficiency, or manufacturability  

Education: Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Electronics, Computer Engineering, or related field; associate degrees may be accepted for entry-level roles  

Experience: Minimum 10–15 years in PCB design;  

Certifications: IPC, CID, REACH, or other relevant industry certifications are often preferred  

Skills: Proficiency in PCB design software, schematic capture, high-speed design, signal integrity analysis, and DFM (Design for Manufacturability)  

Preferred Skills:  

• Strong problem-solving and attention to detail
• Knowledge of PCB materials, manufacturing processes, and thermal management
• Experience with high-density interconnect (HDI) and high-power designs
• Ability to manage budgets, schedules, and dependencies