Staff Engineer, PCBA DFM, Hardware

Google • Mountain View, CA

4d • $171,000 - $247,000

About The Position

As a Staff DfM/Surface-Mount Technology (SMT) Engineer, you will serve as the principal technical authority for PCBA DfM across Google's consumer hardware portfolio, including phones, watches, and hearables. You will bridge product design and mass production, own the technical roadmap for SMT process integration, qualify next-generation component technologies, and lead failure-analysis task forces during product ramps. The role operates with high technical autonomy, influencing product design teams early in development and partnering directly with global tier-one contract manufacturers to ensure hardware is built reliably and efficiently at scale.

The role is part of Google’s Devices & Services team, which researches, designs, and develops technologies and hardware to create helpful user experiences. Individual pay is determined by job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• 10 years of experience in high-density consumer hardware design, PCBA, and DFM.
• Experience in SMT process integration, high-risk CAD layout reviews, and conducting component-level failure analysis.

Nice To Haves

• Master's degree or PhD in Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• Advanced understanding of solder metallurgy, intermetallic compound formation, SAC305/405 properties, and low-temperature solders.
• Demonstrated industry leadership through patents, published technical papers, or active contributions to industry standards bodies.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute long-term technology roadmaps for PCBA assembly, including qualifying advanced, high-density component packaging for future product generations.
• Author, standardize, and maintain Google's proprietary PCBA Design Guidelines for rigid and rigid-flex assemblies.
• Lead the technical gatekeeping and execution of the OK2FAB layout approval workflow, conducting critical, high-risk CAD layout reviews to mitigate manufacturing risks before fabrication.
• Serve as the engineering DRI for high-stakes SMT defect investigations, using analytical lab techniques to resolve complex assembly failures and recover factory yields during NPI and mass-production ramps.
• Define engineering standards for panel array designs, panelization routing clearances, allowable x-out thresholds, and SMT process traceability parameters.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior