NPI Engineer

Job Description

Job Description

NPI Engineer – PCB ManufacturingAbout the Role

The NPI (New Product Introduction) Engineer turns each new printed circuit board order into a manufacturable, correctly planned job, from customer data release through first-article approval. The role connects the customer's design intent to the realities of the fabrication floor so that new part numbers ship on time, at quoted cost and at target yield.

The NPI Engineer works daily with Customer Service, Field Applications Engineering, Process Engineering, the Materials Planner and Production Planning. Together they resolve technical questions with customers, confirm materials and process capability, and set realistic build schedules before a job reaches the floor.

The role reviews incoming designs for manufacturability, defines the build method and traveler for each new part, leads first-article and pilot builds, and feeds lessons back into design rules and process standards. Every new product must meet IPC requirements, customer specifications and delivery commitments.

Responsibilities

New part engineering

• Review customer Gerber, ODB++ or IPC-2581 data, drawings and fab notes for manufacturability (DFM) and flag issues before release.
• Define the build method for each new part: stack-up, lamination cycles, drill and plating sequence, surface finish and test.
• Create and release travelers and work instructions for new part numbers.
• Lead first-article and pilot builds; validate impedance, registration, plating and other critical features.
• Analyze first-build yield and defects; drive root cause and corrective action (8D) for new-part issues.

Customer Service

• Answer technical questions from customers and resolve engineering queries (EQs) quickly so orders are not held.
• Communicate deviations, data changes and engineering holds with clear options and timing.

Field Applications Engineering

• Support FAEs with DFM feedback, stack-up proposals and capability guidance during design and quoting.
• Share first-build results and lessons so FAEs can guide future customer designs.

Process Engineering

• Confirm new parts are within process capability (aspect ratio, trace/space, registration, impedance tolerance).
• Partner on qualifying new materials, processes or equipment that NPI jobs require.
• Feed first-article findings into design rules, process standards and the capability matrix.

Materials Planner

• Specify laminate, prepreg, copper foil and special materials early, including approved alternates.
• Flag long-lead or non-stock materials so they are ordered in time for the build.

Production Planning

• Provide routing, cycle-time and process-step inputs so Planning can set realistic lead times.
• Track NPI jobs through the floor, remove engineering holds and keep milestones on schedule.

Compliance and improvement

• Maintain compliance with IPC-6012, IPC-A-600, customer specifications, quality system and safety requirements.
• Improve NPI cycle time, first-pass yield and handoffs between departments.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Chemical, Materials, Manufacturing or Industrial Engineering, or equivalent experience.
• 3+ years in bare-board PCB fabrication in NPI, front-end/CAM, manufacturing or process engineering.
• Working knowledge of PCB fabrication: imaging, etch, lamination, drilling, plating, solder mask, surface finish and electrical test.
• Ability to read and review PCB data (Gerber, ODB++, IPC-2581), fab drawings and stack-ups; experience with a PCB CAM tool (e.g., Frontline InCAM/Genesis or similar).
• Familiarity with IPC-6012 and IPC-A-600.
• Strong problem-solving and communication skills; able to explain technical issues clearly to customers and non-engineers.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with HDI, sequential lamination, rigid-flex, RF/microwave or heavy-copper builds.
• Controlled-impedance modeling (e.g., Polar Si8000/Si9000) and stack-up design.
• Experience in a quick-turn or high-mix, low-volume PCB shop.
• Knowledge of ERP/MES routing and traveler systems.
• Familiarity with ISO 9001, AS9100, IATF 16949 or ITAR environments.
• Lean or Six Sigma training (e.g., Green Belt); project management experience.

Skills

• PCB technical: DFM review, stack-up and impedance, material selection, and process capability across the fabrication flow.
• Analytical: Uses yield, defect and test data to find root causes and confirm fixes.
• Communication: Turns technical findings into clear, timely updates for customers, Customer Service and FAEs.
• Coordination: Aligns Process Engineering, the Materials Planner and Production Planning on materials, methods and schedule for each new part.
• Continuous improvement: Applies IPC standards and Lean/Six Sigma methods to shorten NPI cycle time and improve first-pass yield.

Job descriptions are not intended, and should not be construed, to be exhaustive lists of all responsibilities, skills, efforts or working conditions associated with a job; they are intended to be accurate reflections of those principal job elements essential for making fair pay decisions about jobs.