SMT Engineer (Otay)

Job description:

The Mission:

As our SMT Process Engineer, you are the technical architect of our PCBA (Printed Circuit Board Assembly) lines. You will own the entire SMT lifecycle—from initial programming and stencil design for New Product Introduction (NPI) to high-volume optimization. Your goal is to ensure the highest levels of placement accuracy, thermal profile stability, and overall line velocity.

Key Responsibilities: 

1. NPI & Mass Production Introduction (MPI)

• Launch Leadership: Lead the Mass Production Introduction (MPI) for all new PCBA designs, ensuring a seamless transition from prototype to high-volume manufacturing.
• Material Validation: Oversee the qualification of new solder pastes, components, and auxiliary materials (flux, stencils, feeders), documenting all validation reports and implementation results.

2. Process Architecture & Technical Documentation

• Standardization: Create and maintain the "Engineering Bible" for SMT, including SOPs, Process Workflows, and machine maintenance regulations.
• Thermal Profiling: Master the Reflow Oven profiling and wave soldering parameters to ensure structural integrity and long-term reliability.

3. Yield Optimization & Cost Control

• Efficiency Engineering: Develop innovative solutions to reduce cycle times and improve Units Per Hour (UPH) through better line balancing and feeder optimization.
• Scrap Mitigation: Drive aggressive yield improvement initiatives by analyzing AOI (Automated Optical Inspection) and SPI (Solder Paste Inspection) data to reduce dPMO (defects per million opportunities).

4. Technical Troubleshooting

• Root Cause Analysis: Lead the diagnosis of SMT-specific defects (e.g., tombstoning, voiding, bridging) and implement permanent corrective actions.