Manufacturing Engineer III

Mercury Systems•Oxnard, CA

15h•Onsite

About The Position

Serves as the primary manufacturing process engineer for the MK21A REM program at the Oxnard microelectronics facility. Owns the development, qualification, and production readiness of all GaN hybrid module assembly processes including eutectic die attach, wire/ribbon bonding, hermetic sealing, and substrate bonding. Performs PMP engineering functions per the program’s Parts, Materials and Processes Control Plan (PMPCP). Drives NPI process development from first principles through production qualification.

Requirements

BS in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or closely related engineering discipline. An engineering degree is required — this position develops processes from first principles, not from existing recipes.
Typically requires 15+ years in microelectronics packaging, hybrid microcircuit assembly, or semiconductor device packaging.
Experience hands -on with at least 4 of the following: eutectic die attach (AuSn or AuGe), epoxy die attach, gold wire bonding, aluminum wire/ribbon bonding, hermetic seal processes (laser weld or seam weld), flip chip processes, substrate metallization/bonding, or MEMS/sensor packaging.
GaN experience: Direct experience with GaN-on-SiC power device packaging strongly preferred. Understanding of thermal management challenges in high-power RF amplifier packaging (50V, 200W+ dissipation, Tj max 175°C) is essential.
Experience transitioning microelectronic assemblies from R&D/prototype through LRIP to production. Must be able to articulate specific NPI programs led, including process qualification methodology, FMEA development, and production readiness assessment.
Experience with MIL-PRF-38534 (hybrid microcircuits), MIL-STD-883, or equivalent military/space-grade manufacturing standards. Understanding of qualification flows, screening sequences, and lot acceptance testing.
Experience in materials characterization (SEM/EDS, XPS/ESCA, CSAM, X-ray, cross-sectioning) for root cause analysis of packaging failures. Experience leading RCCA investigations.
“This position requires you to have or obtain a government security clearance. Security clearances may only be granted to U.S. citizens.”

Nice To Haves

MS or MBA in a relevant discipline.
Experience at Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, BAE, L3Harris, or Tier 1 defense microelectronics suppliers in a PMP or process engineering role.
Experience with DOE methodology for process optimization (Taguchi, factorial, response surface).
Knowledge of radiation-hardened component packaging and nuclear qualification processes (MIL-STD-11991A).
Patent or publication record in microelectronics packaging (demonstrates first-principles capability).

Responsibilities

Develop and qualify eutectic die attach (AuSn) processes for GaN-on-SiC power amplifier devices on CuW and silver-diamond carriers, including thermal profile optimization, void characterization, and scrub parameter development.
Own the manufacturing process development lifecycle for TX and RX hybrid microelectronic modules: die attach, substrate attach, gold and aluminum wire bonding, ribbon bonding, and hermetic lid sealing (laser weld and epoxy seal).
Perform PMP engineering functions: evaluate and approve bonding processes, solder alloys, epoxies (RTV 3145, silver epoxy 84-1LMIT, Stycast, Arathane 5750), conformal coatings, and substrate treatments for nuclear-qualified flight hardware.
Develop and optimize MNS (Metal Nitride Silicon) thin-film capacitor bonding profiles for the TX C35 RCCA corrective action implementation.
Drive resolution of feed-through soldering process (currently at 75% reject rate) and other heritage process yield issues.
Author and maintain work instructions, process flow documents, routers, and DVT/qualification test procedures for all Oxnard-built module types across hardware variants (-229, -119, -109, -019P, -009, -007).
Interface with design engineering (John Kitt, RF/TX Lead; Fred Schindler, RX Lead) to translate design intent into manufacturable processes. Bridge the gap between design engineering and the production floor.
Support LM and DCMA reviews of manufacturing readiness, including GaN deep dive presentations, process capability demonstrations, and first-article inspection documentation.
Evaluate and qualify outsourced manufacturing processes (Palomar die attach, potential Gold Naltos module assembly) in coordination with the Supplier Quality Engineer (Position 3).
Guide manufacturing technicians and engineers on the production floor during first-article builds and engineering sample runs. Provide direct technical mentorship on NPI methodology.
Support failure analysis and root cause investigations for manufacturing-related defects, applying materials science fundamentals (SEM/EDS, X-ray, CSAM, cross-section analysis) to identify failure mechanisms