PCB Technology Engineer Verified today
About Aerospacelab
Aerospacelab designs and manufactures small satellites combined with earth observation services. Since 2018, the company has grown to over 25 engineers across hardware design, software development and data science. Offices are located in Louvain-la-Neuve (Belgium), Toulouse (France), Lausanne (Switzerland) and US West Coast.
Role Overview
As PCB Technology Engineer, you will act as the technical reference for printed circuit board fabrication and assembly technology across Aerospacelab's avionics programs. You will bridge the gap between PCB and electronics designers and the manufacturing supply base, ensuring boards are designed for manufacturability, reliably fabricated, and correctly assembled to space-grade quality standards.
Key Responsibilities
- Act as primary technical point of contact with PCB fabrication and assembly suppliers (stack-up definition, material selection, capability alignment, technical qualification of new suppliers)
- Define, maintain, and enforce Design for Manufacturability (DfM) rules and guidelines for PCB design teams (trace/space, via structures, HDI/microvia strategy, controlled impedance, panelization, etc.)
- Review PCB designs and Gerber/ODB++ outputs prior to release, flagging manufacturability, reliability, or quality risks before they reach fabrication
- Define and recommend component assembly techniques (SMT, BGA/QFN reflow profiles, press-fit connectors, wire bonding interfaces, conformal coating, staking/bonding of components) suited to space and high-reliability applications
- Support root-cause analysis and corrective actions on fabrication or assembly non-conformances, working closely with Quality Assurance and suppliers
- Define inspection and acceptance criteria (AOI, X-ray, cross-section analysis) and support incoming and in-process quality checks on bare boards and assembled PCBs
- Contribute to internal standards, work instructions, and lessons-learned capture for PCB technology, in line with IPC Class 3 requirements
- Support new technology introduction (e.g. embedded components, advanced connector interfaces, high-density stacked assemblies) from feasibility through qualification
Required Experience and Skills
- MSc in Electrical/Electronics Engineering or equivalent, or strong hands-on experience in PCB fabrication/assembly technology
- Solid understanding of PCB fabrication processes (materials, stack-ups, multilayer/HDI construction) and SMT/through-hole assembly processes
- Practical knowledge of Design for Manufacturability principles and their application to real designs
- Ability to read and review PCB design data (layout, stack-up, Gerbers) and communicate findings clearly to designers and suppliers
- Comfortable interfacing directly with suppliers on technical topics, including in a negotiation/qualification context
- Familiarity with IPC standards (IPC-A-600, IPC-A-610, IPC-6012)
- Good communication skills, autonomous and rigorous
- Good English knowledge (French a plus)
Nice to Have
- Experience with space-grade or other high-reliability PCB applications (aerospace, defense, medical)
- Experience with X-ray/AOI inspection and failure analysis (cross-sectioning, TID/radiation-related inspection topics)
- Exposure to high-speed digital, RF, or high-density interconnect (HDI, board-to-board connector) PCB designs
- Experience qualifying new PCB or EMS suppliers