Principal PCBA Manufacturing Engineer (Wilmington, MA)

A Day in Your Life at MKS:

Are you naturally curious? So are we at MKS. Our collective curiosity drives us to be an innovation leader in many industries. Our products drive technology advancements across a wide range of applications such as 5G, augmented/virtual reality, autonomous vehicles, clean drinking water and space exploration. We are a team of collaborators who value fresh thinking and believe in mutual respect, constructive candor, diversity and inclusion. As a valued and trusted partner to our customers, we are continually pushing the boundaries of possibility. We believe in creating technology that transforms our world and are looking for like-minded individuals to join our team. If this is appealing to you, we want to meet you.

We are looking for an exceptional Principal PCBA (Printed Circuit Board Assembly) Manufacturing Engineer to lead the DFM (Design for Manufacturability) and DFT (Design for Testability) strategy throughout the entire NPI lifecycle, partnering closely with design engineering and global contract manufacturers to ensure every board is optimized for yield, test coverage, and factory readiness.  This role will be responsible for driving schematic‑level and layout‑level reviews, identifying manufacturability and testability risks before they reach the factory, and influencing design teams toward architectures that scale cleanly into production.  Success in this role requires deep expertise in PCBA processes and test methodologies, the ability to guide design teams with clarity and conviction, and the leadership to drive contract manufacturers toward disciplined, repeatable, high‑quality execution.

What you will do is:

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (engineering, supply chain, operations) to ensure PCBA assemblies meet design and quality standards.
• Conduct Design for Manufacturability (DFM) and Design for Testability (DFT) reviews to ensure PCBA layouts are optimized for production, reducing costs and assembly time and ensuring high yields.
• Support global contract manufacturers with remote training, troubleshooting, and process optimization.
• Serve as the technical authority for SMT processes, including solder paste printing, SPI, pick-and-place, and reflow profiling.
• Lead ICT development and qualification of test fixtures, equipment, and software for production environments.
• Maintain revision control, documentation, and review supplier changes (PCNs, Gage R&R) for test processes.
• Analyze test data, drive root-cause analysis, and continuously improve test coverage, fault isolation, and throughput.
• Maintain a list of chemistries used at each PCBA supplier

What will you bring to the team, along with your knowledge in electrical engineering along with your enthusiasm to learn is:

• Minimum of a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering degree is required, a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering degree is preferred.
• 8+ years’ experience in PCBA manufacturing engineering, test engineering or hardware development  is required.
• Subject matter expertise in PCBA manufacturing processes, SMT, PCBA test methodologies & inspection, PCBA design and board chemistry.  In depth knowledge of IPC standards related to PCBA manufacturing.
• Experience with schematic capture and analysis applications such as Mentor Graphics/PADS, and OrCAD are required.
• Experience with DFT (Design for Test) and DFM (Design for Manufacturing) principles is required.
• Experience managing vendors and external design partners, as well as providing training and technical support to contract manufacturers (CMs) both onsite and remotely, is required.
• Ability to create detailed project plans is required.

Compensation and Benefits

• Salary Pay Range: $100,414 - $186,482 per year. This range is a good faith estimate of the expected salary range for this position, based on a wide range of factors including qualifications, experience and training, operational and business needs and other considerations permitted by law. 

• Bonus: This position is eligible for a discretionary annual bonus, in an amount to be determined by MKS [or as applicable].

• Benefits: MKS offers a comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance coverage (medical, dental and vision), 401(k) with company match, life and disability insurance, 12 paid holidays, sick time, 15 paid vacation days, [6 weeks fully paid] parental leave, adoption assistance and tuition reimbursement [and for participation in any stock programs, signing bonus, etc.

Globally, our policy is to recruit individuals from wide and diverse backgrounds. However, certain positions require access to controlled goods and technologies subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) or Export Administration Regulations (EAR). Applicants for these positions may need to be “U.S. persons.” “U.S. persons” are generally defined as U.S. citizens, noncitizen nationals, lawful permanent residents (or, green card holders), individuals granted asylum, and individuals admitted as refugees.

MKS Inc. and its affiliates and subsidiaries (“MKS”) is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer: diverse candidates are encouraged to apply. We win as a team and are committed to recruiting and hiring qualified applicants regardless of race, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions), religion, age, ancestry, physical or mental disability or handicap, marital status, membership in the uniformed services, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, or any other category protected by applicable law. Hiring decisions are based on merit, qualifications and business needs. We conduct background checks and drug screens, in accordance with applicable law and company policies.  MKS is generally only hiring candidates who reside in states where we are registered to do business.

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

MKS is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation during the application or interview process due to a disability, please contact us at: accommodationsatMKS@mksinst.com .

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