PCBA Process Engineer II

Banner Engineering has a comprehensive and advanced printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) operation that includes surface mount technology (SMT), chip-on-board (COB), automated and manual through-hole soldering, depanelization, and electrical test.  We are currently looking for a PCBA Process Engineer II - NPI to provide manufacturing engineering support and technical leadership for new product introduction and early production of printed circuit board assemblies in our Brooklyn Park, MN facility.  This position will work closely with product design engineers and manufacturing teams throughout the product development cycle to ensure new designs are manufacturable, manufacturing processes and documentation are production-ready, and potential quality and yield concerns are identified as early as possible.  The engineer will develop and maintain PCBA Design for Manufacturability (DFM) guidelines, train product development teams on manufacturing requirements and capabilities, participate in design reviews, support engineering and pre-production builds, and provide actionable manufacturing feedback to product teams.  The position will also support the transition of newly released products into production and perform early-life yield reviews and improvement plans. 

This position reports to the Director of Engineering.

According to the FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act), this position is classified as:      

• Exempt, based on the Professional Exemption

This is a great opportunity for someone who enjoys working collaboratively and individually, staying on top of tasks, and making a meaningful impact across teams and projects. Below are some key responsibilities of the role.

• →Serve as the primary PCBA process engineering interface for new product introduction activities from early product development through engineering builds, production release, and initial manufacturing ramp.
• →Partner with product design engineers early in the development cycle to review PCBA designs for manufacturability, process capability, yield risk, assembly complexity, and compatibility with existing manufacturing equipment and processes.
• →Provide clear, actionable recommendations concerning component selection and placement, PCB layout, solderability, assembly clearances, panelization, tooling, inspection, test access, depanelization, and other manufacturing considerations.
• →Develop, maintain, and continuously improve PCBA Design for Manufacturability (DFM) guidelines that reflect current manufacturing capabilities, process knowledge, lessons learned, equipment constraints, component technologies, and industry best practices.
• →Train electrical, mechanical, PCB layout, and other product development personnel on PCBA manufacturing processes, DFM guidelines, manufacturing capabilities, and design practices that improve producibility.
• →Support engineering prototype, pilot, and pre-production PCBA builds on the manufacturing floor, providing real-time technical support and coordinating resolution of manufacturing issues.
• →Document issues and observations from engineering builds and provide timely, structured feedback to product design teams, engineering build requestors, production management, and manufacturing support personnel.
• →Capture lessons learned from new product introductions and incorporate findings into DFM guidelines, design-review practices, manufacturing standards, training materials, and future product development activities.
• →Develop, review, and validate manufacturing documentation for new products, including manufacturing procedures, work instructions, and process parameters needed for consistent production.
• →Partner with PCBA process engineers, technicians, production personnel, quality, product engineering, supply chain, test engineering, and other manufacturing-support functions to ensure smooth product introduction.
• →Lead manufacturing readiness activities for new PCBAs including review of equipment capability, tooling, process requirements, inspection strategy, manufacturing documentation, operator instructions, and other requirements necessary for successful introduction into production.
• →Lead or support root-cause investigations and corrective actions for manufacturing issues discovered during engineering builds, production ramp, and the early life of newly released products.
• →Propose short and long-term manufacturing capability changes to tooling, equipment, inspection, or manufacturing technology to achieve new design requirements.

This position has no direct supervisory responsibilities.

To perform this job successfully, you must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily, and regular attendance is required. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required to perform this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to support individuals with disabilities.

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

• 3+ years of experience in PCBA manufacturing engineering or SMT process engineering
• Working knowledge of PCB fabrication, electronic component packaging, PCB surface finishes, solderability, and common PCBA manufacturing defect mechanisms.
• Experience supporting new products, engineering builds, prototype builds, pilot production, or production ramp within a manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated ability to review product designs and identify manufacturing risks or improvement opportunities.
• Ability to understand PCB assembly drawings, PCB layouts, bills of material, engineering drawings, and component specifications.
• Strong hands-on troubleshooting and structured problem-solving skills, including the ability to distinguish between design-related, material-related, equipment-related, and process-related manufacturing problems.
• Ability to analyze manufacturing and quality data to identify trends and recommend practical design or process improvements.
• Ability to develop clear technical documentation, manufacturing procedures, engineering recommendations, and training materials.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to explain manufacturing requirements and technical concerns to product designers and other cross-functional stakeholders.
• Strong organizational and project-management skills with the ability to support multiple new-product projects and engineering builds simultaneously.
• Ability to work effectively and collaboratively with product design engineers, engineering build requestors, production management, operators, technicians, quality personnel, and other manufacturing-support functions.
• Ability to work independently while escalating technical risks and issues appropriately.

• Experience performing PCBA Design for Manufacturability (DFM) reviews or developing PCB/PCBA manufacturing design guidelines.
• Detailed knowledge of component land patterns, solder-joint formation, stencil design, solder paste printing, placement, reflow profiling, SPI, AOI, through-hole or selective soldering, depanelization, and PCBA test processes.
• Knowledge of IPC standards and industry guidance applicable to electronic assemblies.
• Experience with PFMEA, process capability, SPC, Design of Experiments (DOE), root-cause analysis, control plans, or other structured process-development and risk-management methods.
• Familiarity with MES, ERP, manufacturing databases, SQL, Qlik, Power BI, or other manufacturing-data and analysis tools.
• IPC certification, SMTA certification, Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or similar process engineering qualifications.
• Experience working in an ISO 9001 quality-system environment.

The physical demands described here must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to support individuals with disabilities.

• Sit for up to 8 hours per day
• Exposed to a computer screen for up to 8 hours per day
• Utilize a computer mouse, keyboard, computer, and other standard office equipment
• Required to talk or hear frequently
• Ability to work on-site in a manufacturing environment and travel to other local facilities when needed.

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those you may encounter while performing the essential functions of this job.

• Corporate office environment – indoor and climate-controlled
• Exposure to various manufacturing, warehousing or related industrial location
• Travel domestically and internationally up to 10% of the time

If you excel in a dynamic, collaborative environment and are looking for meaningful challenges and opportunities to grow, you’ll find a great fit here. Banner Engineering is a premier employer headquartered in MN, offering competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits, and opportunities for professional development as we rapidly grow in the Industrial Automation industry.

Banner Engineering is an equal opportunity employer that considers all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.

Affirmative Action (AA)/Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) M/F/D/V

This job description reflects management’s assignment of key responsibilities;

it does not prescribe or restrict the tasks that may be assigned.