Kapta Space · 1 month ago
Lead PCB Designer – Spaceborne Radar Systems
Seattle, WA
Full-time
Onsite
Lead/StaffKapta Space is a VC-funded early-stage startup in Seattle, WA, focusing on Geospatial Intelligence through innovative radar technology. They are seeking a Lead PCB Designer to oversee the architecture and quality assurance of printed circuit board layouts for spaceborne radar systems, while also mentoring a small team of designers.
Responsibilities
Lead PCB layout design for high-speed digital, mixed-signal, RF front-end, and power management boards supporting spaceborne radar payloads and phased-array antenna modules
In collaboration with the Responsible Engineer (RE), provide inputs to define and maintain board-level architecture, layer stack-ups, and routing strategies ensuring signal integrity, impedance control, and EMI/EMC compliance
Execute detailed component placement and routing for complex multi-layer designs including high-density BGAs, SERDES, DDR, FPGA, and high-frequency RF interconnects
Perform full lifecycle design ownership — from schematic collaboration and layout execution through fabrication, assembly, and bring-up support
Partner with RE to integrate board design within mechanical, RF, thermal, and system-level constraints, ensuring mechanical compatibility, manufacturability, and serviceability
Serve as point of contact for standardized PCB layout, DFM/DFA/DFT rules, ECAD constraint management, and centralized component-library oversight
Partake in formal design reviews, enforce design rules, and ensure documentation packages meet aerospace and defense standards
Coordinate with Contract Design Services partners to ensure alignment with internal engineering standards and deliverables
Collaborate with RE and Program Office to support PCB fabrication and assembly vendors DFM and inquiries, ensuring compliance with stack-up, impedance, and material specifications for space/defense environments
Contribute to supply-chain readiness and material qualification efforts for high-reliability boards (e.g., polyimide, low-outgassing, or radiation-tolerant materials)
Qualification
Required
Associates or Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related discipline (or demonstrated equivalent skills and experience)
Significant experience of professional PCB layout experience
Significant experience as a principal-level individual contributor working with multi-disciplinary engineering teams delivering complex spaceborne hardware
Expert proficiency in Altium Designer and strong command of constraint-driven design
Understanding of impedance control, differential pair routing, grounding strategies, thermal management, and EMI/EMC mitigation
Significant experience with DFM/DFA/DFT principles and close collaboration with PCB fabrication and assembly vendors
Familiarity with aerospace or defense hardware design requirements (shock, vibration, thermal, radiation, reliability)
Experience leading Altium toolchain integration, library management, and automation/scripting
Excellent communication skills, with ability to present to senior leadership and collaborate with customers and suppliers
Must be eligible to obtain and hold a US DoD security clearance (TS with SCI)
Preferred
Experience designing PCBs for spacecraft payloads, synthetic aperture radar systems, or electronically-steered RF arrays
Proficiency with 3D ECAD/MCAD co-design workflows and mechanical constraint management
Knowledge of IPC Class 3 and NASA or MIL specifications for PCB fabrication and assembly
Exposure to high-power or high-voltage design practices and power-integrity simulation tools
Layout skills for Power Integrity
Layout skills for Signal Integrity
Knowledge of thermal transfer through PCB materials is a plus
Experience with high frequency RF routing principles and circuits
Experience developing mission-critical hardware for space and/or defense environments
Significant experience designing complex multi-layer PCBs with high-speed interfaces (PCIe, DDR, SERDES, JESD, Ethernet)
Company
Kapta Space
Low Cost Advanced Spaceborne Electronically Steered Arrays (ESA) to finally deliver on the Promise of Spaceborne Radar careers@kaptaspace.com
Founded in 2023Seattle, WA, US
2-10 employeesFunding
Current Stage
Early StageCompany data provided by crunchbase