Manufacturing Engineer - PCBA

Rocket EMS•Carson City, NV

About The Position

As a Manufacturing Engineer at Rocket EMS, you will lead engineering activities that ensure printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs) can be manufactured reliably, efficiently, and at the required production volume. The role focuses on design for manufacturability (DFM), design for assembly (DFA), new product introduction (NPI), manufacturing planning, and product lifecycle support. It evaluates the complete manufacturing approach, from customer design data and assembly requirements through production routing, tooling, inspection, test integration, and final assembly. You will identify manufacturing risks, coordinate solutions with customers and internal teams, and lead improvements across production areas. You will work closely with Process Engineering, Quality, Test Engineering, Supply Chain, Production, and Program Management to translate product requirements into a complete, controlled manufacturing plan and resolve technical issues throughout production. The position is an 8-hour, Monday–Friday shift, with overtime and weekends as needed. The listed pay range is $75,000–$95,000 USD. Due to the nature of Rocket EMS's work, the role may require access to export-controlled technical data or technology. The successful candidate must be eligible to access such information under applicable U.S. export-control laws or qualify for any required government authorization.

Requirements

At least 3 years of manufacturing engineering experience in PCBA or electronics manufacturing.
Experience performing DFM/DFA reviews and translating customer product requirements into manufacturing plans.
Experience leading or coordinating NPI builds, manufacturing readiness activities, and transition to sustained production.
Broad understanding of SMT, through-hole assembly, soldering, cleaning, inspection, test integration, conformal coating, and mechanical assembly.
Experience managing manufacturing documentation, engineering changes, routings, and product configuration.
Working knowledge of applicable IPC-A-610 and J-STD-001 requirements, including Class 2 and Class 3 applications.
Ability to interpret and evaluate assembly drawings, BOMs, schematics, PCB design data, mechanical tolerances, and customer specifications.
Strong DFM/DFA analysis skills and ability to communicate practical design recommendations to customers and internal teams.
Ability to develop complete manufacturing plans and coordinate technical work across departments.
Strong problem-solving skills for issues involving design, materials, tooling, and interactions between manufacturing processes.
Familiarity with CAD/CAM or DFM review tools, engineering change systems, and ERP/MES platforms.
Working knowledge of PFMEA, Lean manufacturing, process capability, and structured improvement methods.
Ability to evaluate technical alternatives using quality, cost, capacity, and schedule considerations.
Strong technical writing, project coordination, and customer communication skills.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office and manufacturing documentation systems.
Must be eligible to access applicable export-controlled technical data or technology under U.S. export-control laws, or be eligible for required government authorization.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related field; equivalent electronics manufacturing experience with demonstrated DFM, NPI, and manufacturing planning responsibility is also considered.
Experience with manufacturing cost analysis, capacity planning, equipment justification, or automation projects.
Experience in high-reliability electronics manufacturing, including aerospace or defense applications.

Responsibilities

Lead DFM and DFA reviews for new and revised products, identifying design features that affect assembly quality, repeatability, cost, and production capability.
Evaluate component spacing and orientation, land patterns, thermal characteristics, panelization, tooling access, soldering accessibility, inspection visibility, coating access, and mechanical assembly requirements.
Review customer manufacturing packages—including assembly drawings, BOMs, schematics, PCB fabrication data, specifications, and engineering changes—and resolve missing, conflicting, or unclear requirements.
Coordinate manufacturability recommendations with customer engineering and Program Management, obtaining approvals before changing customer-controlled designs or requirements.
Lead manufacturing engineering activities for NPI, including feasibility assessments, readiness reviews, pilot builds, risk closure, and transition into sustained production.
Define and maintain the overall manufacturing sequence, master routings, labor assumptions, tooling requirements, and production documentation requirements with input from Process Engineering.
Coordinate complete manufacturing packages so approved drawings, revisions, routings, tooling, and process instructions are aligned and available before production release.
Assess the manufacturing impact of ECOs, component substitutions, and design revisions, including effects on work in process, tooling, process qualification, inspection, and test.
Establish product-level tooling and fixture requirements and coordinate their development and qualification with Process Engineering, Test Engineering, suppliers, and equipment vendors.
Partner with Test Engineering on design for testability, test access, fixture integration, coverage requirements, and placement of test operations in the manufacturing flow.
Lead resolution of complex manufacturing issues involving product design, material compatibility, tolerance interactions, or multiple production processes.
Coordinate manufacturing risk reviews across the assembly flow and ensure process PFMEAs and control plans address risks at interfaces between operations.
Develop capacity assessments and manufacturing improvement plans involving equipment capability, production layout, automation, material flow, and production scale-up.
Support equipment and technology selection through technical evaluations, cost-benefit analysis, capital recommendations, and qualification planning.
Analyze product-level yield, manufacturing cost, labor performance, rework, and scrap to prioritize improvements and verify business results.
Support quoting and program planning with manufacturing feasibility input, tooling costs, labor estimates, and technical risk assessments.
Support customer technical reviews, audits, and manufacturing transfers, incorporating applicable quality, safety, ESD, and customer requirements into manufacturing plans.