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Viasat · 6 days ago

Senior DFx Engineer

Carlsbad, CA

Full-time

Hybrid

Senior Level, Lead/Staff

$145K/yr - $229K/yr

10+ years exp

Viasat is a company dedicated to delivering global connections and is seeking a Senior DFx Engineer to join their Operations teams. In this role, you will leverage your expertise in Surface Mount Technology (SMT) and DFx principles to enhance product readiness for production, ensuring high yields and reliability in sophisticated PWA designs and assembly workflows.

InternetOptical CommunicationTelecommunications

No H1B

Security Clearance Required

U.S. Citizen Only

Responsibilities

Participate in design reviews to ensure component placement, pad design, and stencil aperture meet manufacturability standards

Provide feedback to design engineers on layout and thermal considerations

Run small-scale experiments (DoEs) to validate SMT parameters like solder paste type, stencil thickness, and reflow profiles

Perform CpK analysis and Gage R&R studies to confirm process capability and measurement accuracy

Work with the EMS and PE to establish, monitor, and optimize SMT assembly steps: screen printing, SPI, pick-and-place, reflow profiling, AOI, AXI, and selective soldering

Review production data and address any anomalies in SMT workflows or design related issues that affect yield

Communicate with contract manufacturers to align on SMT standard methodologies and resolve process issues

Support NPI builds and solve assembly challenges with design and manufacturing teams

Drive cost-reduction and yield-improvement initiatives at supplier sites

Serve as “the” technical resource to interdisciplinary teams, councils, and management

Provide technical leadership and mentoring to junior engineers

Communicate progress and risks to stakeholders effectively

Investigate defects such as tombstoning, solder voids, or insufficient wetting using SEM, X-ray, and optical microscopy

Document findings and implement corrective actions

Maintain DFx checklists, processes, and best-practice guidelines

Engage with quality on PFMEA/DFMEA engagements for producibility enhancement opportunities on future designs

Find opportunities for automation and inspection enhancements

Monitor SMT yield, process capability, and improvement initiatives

Maintain clear records of validation results and corrective actions

Provide build readiness updates using PRS, Producibility Reports, and updates at critical design reviews

Qualification

Surface Mount Technology (SMT)Design-for-manufacturabilityIPC standards knowledgeReflow profilingProcess capability analysisMinitabTechnical leadershipCommunication skillsAttention to detailTeam collaboration

Required

BS degree in Engineering or equivalent experience

10+ years of proven experience in high-mix, high-density SMT assembly environments, including fine-pitch and BGA components

Proven teammate with strong networking and communication abilities, capable of influencing decisions and working seamlessly across diverse technical teams

Ability to prioritize tasks, maintain attention to detail, and manage time effectively to handle multiple responsibilities concurrently

Strong understanding of IPC-A-610, IPC-7351, J-STD-001, and SMT-specific inspection criteria

Extensive experience applying design-for-manufacturability principles to PWA architecture and assembly workflows, reducing cost and improving reliability

Skilled in reflow profiling, stencil design optimization, solder paste selection, and thermal management for complex assemblies

Familiarity with SMT process simulation and analysis tools (Valor, Minitab) and inspection systems (AOI, AXI)

Ability to identify root causes of SMT defects and implement corrective actions quickly. Experienced in using PFMEA and DFMEA evaluations to drive producibility, quality, cost, and reliability in product development

U.S. Citizenship required

Ability to travel (up to 20%) for on-site process validation and technical support

Preferred

Skilled in driving process evaluations and validations with contract manufacturers, ensuring robust manufacturing practices and proactive failure prevention

Strong understanding of PWA assembly workflows and inspection processes, including screen printing, SPI, pick-and-place, reflow, AOI, AXI, FPT, and ICT

Experience with high-mix, high-density PWA designs and assembly

Space hardware experience

Familiarity with Minitab, JIRA, Mentor Graphics, Valor, Agile, Solid-Works, and Oracle

Electro-mechanical design and assembly experience

Available to work on-site at least three days per week in a hybrid schedule (Carlsbad, CA, Tempe, AZ)

Active DoD Secret clearance or ability to obtain when administratively feasible