Design for Manufacturing Engineer - PCBA (Starlink)

As a Design for Manufacturing Engineer - PCBA at SpaceX, you will collaborate closely with various engineering teams to enhance the quality and efficiency of manufacturing for our Starlink PCBAs. This includes driving structural requirements for SMT assembly, reviewing designs to address potential manufacturing issues, and identifying opportunities for optimizing product output and quality enhancements.

To apply for the Design for Manufacturing Engineer - PCBA position at SpaceX, you should have a Bachelor’s degree in engineering or a related STEM field, along with at least one year of experience in SMT processing or microelectronics packaging. Additional experience in reliability modeling, PCB review software, and scripting languages will enhance your application.

Preferred skills for the Design for Manufacturing Engineer - PCBA at SpaceX include experience with reliability modeling of solder joints, automated PCB review software, and scripting skills using Python or similar tools. Familiarity with statistical methods and quality processes will also be beneficial.

The Design for Manufacturing Engineer - PCBA role at SpaceX does require minimal travel, primarily to facilitate collaboration with suppliers and manufacturers as necessary to ensure product quality and compliance with design specifications.

As a Design for Manufacturing Engineer - PCBA at SpaceX, you may be required to work extended hours or weekends, especially during critical deadlines. Flexibility in your schedule is expected to meet the demands of this exciting and fast-paced role.

When answering this question, focus on specific projects where you utilized SMT processing in PCB design. Highlight the outcomes of your work and how your contributions improved manufacturing processes or product quality, showing your understanding of the entire design-to-manufacturing workflow.

Discuss any methodologies you've used to analyze production data or trends. Mention tools like Six Sigma or design of experiments, and relate how these strategies led to measurable improvements in efficiency or quality in past projects.

Emphasize your communication skills and any specific tools or practices you use to facilitate collaboration. Sharing examples of successful teamwork and how you overcame challenges with other departments will strengthen your answer.

Talk about the systematic approach you take before finalizing designs, including reviewing for thermal issues, component placement, and footprint design. Providing an example where your review led to design corrections would reinforce your capabilities.

Choose a specific project where you identified an issue, proposed a solution, and implemented it effectively. Discuss the results and how they impacted production quality or efficiency, highlighting your proactive problem-solving skills.

Mention tools you are experienced with, such as Xpedition Design Software or specific automated PCB review software. Discuss how you utilize these tools to enhance your workflow and ensure rigorous quality checks.

Explain your methods for professional development, including attending workshops, following industry publications, or participating in relevant online communities. Share specific examples where new knowledge has directly influenced your work.

Discuss specific experiences where you analyzed yield data, identified root causes, and implemented corrective actions. Providing measurable results in improvements would highlight your effectiveness in this area.

Emphasize the importance of data-driven decision-making in your process. Discuss examples of how you've utilized statistical techniques to optimize designs or manufacturing processes.

Identify a challenge such as balancing design creativity with manufacturing constraints. Discuss how you approach this challenge and provide insights into how your experience makes you well-suited for the role.