Director of Engineering

Rocket EMS•Carson City, NV

About The Position

The Director of Engineering oversees all process/manufacturing engineering functions within a high-mix, high-reliability PCBA manufacturing environment producing Class 3 aerospace and mission-critical assemblies. This role leads PCBA manufacturing engineering, process engineering, NPI, DFM/DFX, sustaining engineering, and automation/continuous improvement initiatives. The Director ensures that all engineering processes comply with IPC, J-STD, AS9100, and aerospace customer addendums while optimizing manufacturability, quality, cost, and throughput.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Industrial Engineering, or related field (Master’s preferred).
10-15+ years in PCBA manufacturing engineering with at least 10+ years in a leadership role.
Deep knowledge of: IPC-J-STD-001 Class 3 & Space/Military Addendums, IPC-A-610 Class 3, AS9100D, IPC-7351, 7711/7721, 2221
Experience with aerospace, defense, medical, or other high-reliability electronics.
Strong background in SMT (printing, placement, reflow), AOI/AXI, DFM/DFX, Rework, Chemical Wash, Polymerics, and test strategies.
Excellent leadership, communication, and technical decision-making abilities.

Responsibilities

Lead and develop a multidisciplinary engineering team (SMT Process, Manufacturing, New Product Introduction, and Automation).
Drive engineering strategy aligned with company objectives for quality, cost, yield, and delivery.
Serve as the technical authority for IPC-J-STD-001 Class 3, IPC-A-610 Class 3, IPC-7711/7721, and aerospace process controls.
Own company-wide engineering initiatives across all PCBA manufacturing functional areas, including build readiness reviews and standardization efforts.
Ensure process qualification and documentation aligns with J-STD-001 Space & Military Addendum and applicable aerospace customer requirements.
Establish and maintain process windows, control plans, PFMEAs, and validation reports.
Lead DFM/DFX reviews, tooling design, stencil strategy, and prototype builds.
Oversee creation of travelers, BOM validation, build instructions, and work instructions in compliance with AS9100.
Manage engineering change control (ECOs), configuration management, and revision control.
Lead LEAN/CI programs focused on waste reduction, defect elimination, and throughput improvement.
Collaborate closely with Quality Engineering to address defects, root cause investigations, and MRB activities.
Implement process monitoring, SPC, and industry 4.0 tools.
Work closely with Production, Quality, Program Management, Supply Chain, and SMT departments.
Provide engineering support during customer audits, FAIs, PFMEAs, and technical reviews.
Partner with external suppliers on polymerics, tooling, fixtures, materials, and new process technologies.