Department: Manufacturing / Engineering
Reports To: Director of NPI Engineering
Location: San Jose, California
Position Summary:
The Engineering Manager is responsible for leading the Surface Mount Technology (SMT) engineering team to ensure efficient, high-quality PCB assembly operations. This role oversees process development, equipment optimization, new product introduction (NPI), and continuous improvement activities to achieve production goals in quality, cost, and delivery. The ideal candidate is a hands-on technical leader with strong problem-solving skills, deep SMT process knowledge, and proven experience managing cross-functional engineering teams in a fast-paced electronics manufacturing environment.
Key Responsibilities: • Lead, coach, and develop the SMT engineering team to achieve departmental and company objectives.
• Oversee day-to-day SMT production engineering activities, ensuring process stability, efficiency, and high yield.
• Manage and optimize SMT equipment, including stencil printers, placement machines, reflow ovens, and Automated Optical Inspection ( AOI) systems.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives in process capability, cycle time reduction, and defect prevention.
• Lead new product introduction (NPI) for SMT lines, ensuring successful prototype builds and seamless production transition.
• Collaborate with Quality, Production, and Supply Chain teams to resolve process issues and improve manufacturability.
• Define and maintain SMT process standards, documentation, and equipment maintenance plans.
• Analyze process data (Statistical Process Control (SPC), Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), yield, downtime) and implement corrective actions to achieve performance targets.
• Participate in capacity planning, line balancing, and layout optimization for future scalability.
• Manage engineering projects, including capital equipment justification and implementation.
• Ensure compliance with ESD, IPC, and ISO standards and support audits as required.
Qualifications:
Education: • Bachelor’s degree in Electrical, Industrial, or Manufacturing Engineering (Master’s preferred).
Experience: • Minimum 10+ years of SMT process or manufacturing engineering experience in electronics assembly.
• At least 3 years in a supervisory or management role leading engineering or production teams.
• Strong knowledge of SMT equipment.
• Proven experience with NPI, Design for Manufacturability ( DFM), and continuous improvement methodologies (Lean, Six Sigma).
Skills: • Strong leadership, communication, and team development abilities.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills using data-driven approaches.
• Proficiency in statistical process control (SPC) and quality tools.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and drive results under tight timelines.
• Knowledge of ERP/MES systems and familiarity with IPC standards.
Preferred Qualifications: • Experience with automotive, medical device, or high-reliability electronics manufacturing.
• Certification in Lean Manufacturing or Six Sigma Green/Black Belt.
Work Environment: • Office and manufacturing floor environment.
• May require occasional travel to suppliers or other company sites.
Job location- San Jose
Salary range- $120,000-$150,000
• Our company is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE). All qualified candidates will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or marital status in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws.