Engineering Quality Leader

Job Description

Job Description

Position Summary

Currently looking for a highly experienced Engineering Leader with deep technical expertise within the SMT and PCB/PCBA manufacturing industry. This is not a design engineering role. This individual will serve as a high-level technical leader and customer-facing Subject Matter Expert focused heavily on PCB/PCBA quality, defect resolution, process optimization, and real-time manufacturing support within a high-mix Electronic Manufacturing Services (EMS) environment.

This role requires a hands-on engineering professional with a minimum of 8–10 years of direct SMT and PCB manufacturing experience working with boards daily in a production environment. The ideal candidate must come directly from the SMT / PCB / PCBA manufacturing industry and possess intimate working knowledge of IPC standards, soldering processes, board-level defect analysis, manufacturing chemistry, and process troubleshooting.

This is a highly visible role that will work directly with customers, production teams, operators, quality, and engineering leadership to resolve complex manufacturing and quality issues in real time. The Engineering Leader must be comfortable spending significant time on the manufacturing floor supporting operations hands-on while also representing Microboard professionally during customer visits, audits, and technical discussions.

This is an expert “do-er” role — someone capable of independently identifying issues, driving corrective actions, and improving manufacturing quality and process performance across the organization.

Requirements

Key Responsibilities

Technical Leadership & Customer Support

• Serve as the primary technical Subject Matter Expert for PCB and PCBA manufacturing quality and defect resolution.
• Travel to customer sites as needed to support technical discussions, quality investigations, corrective actions, process reviews, and relationship management.
• Interface directly with customers regarding PCB/PCBA quality concerns, process issues, and manufacturing improvements.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to production, quality, and engineering teams.
• Act as a high-visibility technical representative of the company during customer visits, audits, and escalations.

PCB / PCBA Defect Resolution

• Lead real-time disposition and troubleshooting of PCB and PCBA manufacturing defects directly on the manufacturing floor.
• Possess intimate working knowledge of IPC-A-610 and IPC-600 standards and apply those standards consistently across production and quality operations.
• Analyze solder defects, process escapes, contamination issues, workmanship concerns, and assembly-related failures.
• Support root cause investigations using structured problem-solving methodologies including 8D, 5 Why, Fishbone, and corrective/preventive action processes.
• Drive containment activities and long-term corrective actions for recurring manufacturing issues.

SMT Process & Manufacturing Support

• Work directly with SMT production teams to improve yields, workmanship, process stability, and manufacturing quality.
• Support and troubleshoot:
• SMT processes
• Reflow soldering
• Selective soldering
• Through-hole soldering
• Hand soldering
• PCB handling and workmanship
• Flux, chemistry, and cleaning processes
• Partner closely with Manufacturing Engineering and Quality teams to optimize process controls and reduce defects.
• Assist with process validation, work instructions, visual standards, and operator training.

Floor Presence & Operational Support

• Remain heavily engaged on the manufacturing floor supporting operators, inspectors, and engineering teams directly.
• Work side-by-side with production teams to disposition quality concerns and resolve issues in real time.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives focused on workmanship, process consistency, and defect reduction.
• Assist in developing a culture of accountability, technical excellence, and urgency within manufacturing operations.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum 8–10 years of direct SMT / PCB / PCBA manufacturing experience.
• MUST come directly from the SMT / PCB manufacturing industry.
• Strong daily hands-on experience working directly with PCB assemblies and electronic manufacturing processes.
• Extensive experience with:
• IPC-A-610
• IPC-600
• SMT manufacturing processes
• PCB/PCBA defect analysis
• Soldering processes and workmanship standards
• Manufacturing chemistry and process controls
• Strong understanding of EMS manufacturing environments.
• Ability to communicate effectively with customers, operators, engineers, and executive leadership.
• Comfortable traveling to customer sites as required.
• Proven ability to troubleshoot and resolve complex manufacturing and quality issues in fast-paced production environments.
• Strong floor presence and ability to lead through technical expertise and action.

Preferred Qualifications

• IPC Certification(s) preferred.
• Lean Manufacturing or Six Sigma exposure preferred.
• Experience supporting aerospace, defense, medical, or high-reliability electronics manufacturing environments preferred.
• Prior customer-facing engineering or quality experience is strongly preferred.

Key Characteristics for Success

• Hands-on technical leader
• Strong communicator
• High sense of urgency
• Process and quality driven
• Comfortable in high-pressure manufacturing environments
• Respected technical expert
• Collaborative but accountable
• Strong troubleshooting mindset
• Visible and engaged floor leader

Benefits

• Salary range $160K-$200K
• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Paid Vacation
• Sick Days
• Paid Holidays
• Bonus range from 7%-25%