Pcb Designer

About the role

The PCB Designer will design and perform layout of complex digital and analog printed circuit boards, supporting advanced instrumentation and data acquisition products used in demanding aerospace and related applications. This role combines hands-on PCB layout, library management, and schematic support to deliver high-quality, manufacturable board designs.

Responsibilities

• Design and perform layout of digital and analog printed circuit boards (PCBs) for instrumentation and data acquisition systems.
• Execute PCB component placement and routing for multilayer boards, typically ranging from 6 to 30 layers.
• Create and maintain PCB design release documentation, ensuring designs are complete, accurate, and ready for manufacturing.
• Design, build, and maintain component footprints and symbols for the Master Component Library, ensuring consistency and adherence to standards.
• Maintain and improve PCB design engineering processes, workflows, and best practices.
• Evaluate the quality of schematic designs and provide feedback to ensure they are optimized for PCB layout and manufacturability.
• Support schematic capture and conversion of schematics into PCB layouts using appropriate design tools.
• Conduct formal and informal design reviews, incorporating feedback and resolving issues to improve design quality.
• Release and maintain design documentation, including fabrication and assembly drawings, bills of materials, and related outputs.
• Collaborate closely with electrical engineers, mechanical engineers, and other team members to ensure PCB designs meet electrical, mechanical, and environmental requirements.
• Interpret electronic schematics and component data sheets to ensure accurate implementation in PCB designs.
• Participate as a team player, actively learning new tools and technologies and contributing to a collaborative design environment.

Essential Skills

• Proven knowledge of PCB board design, including both digital and analog circuits.
• Hands-on experience with PCB design tools such as Altium, CADSTAR, ECADSTAR, Zuken, Cadence Allegro, or Xpedition.
• Practical experience designing multilayer boards, typically from 6 to 30 layers.
• Experience with schematic capture tools and printed wiring board (PWB) design tools.
• Ability to read and interpret electronic schematics and component data sheets accurately.
• Strong understanding of PCB, PWB, analog, digital, and board-level design principles.
• Experience creating and managing PCB component footprints and symbols for library use.
• Ability to evaluate schematic quality and support conversion from schematic to layout.
• Strong oral and written communication skills, including proficiency with MS Office applications.
• Excellent analytical and decision-making skills applied to PCB design and problem-solving.
• Willingness to learn and operate effectively as a team player in a collaborative environment.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DOD Government security clearance, as required by the nature of the work performed at the facility.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Design or a related field.
• PWB design certification is preferred.
• Experience with flight test instrumentation, data recorders, or sensor-based systems is beneficial.
• Familiarity with designing boards for battery-powered air vehicles or similar applications is an advantage.
• Experience working with a range of PCB design platforms such as Altium, CADSTAR, ECADSTAR, Zuken, Cadence Allegro, and Xpedition.
• Exposure to instrumentation systems that integrate multiple sensors and data acquisition channels.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to producing robust, manufacturable PCB designs.

Work Environment

This role is based on-site in Newtown, PA, with the expectation that the PCB Designer will be local enough to come into the facility as needed. The work environment centers on advanced flight test instrumentation and data acquisition systems, including recorders designed to operate with various acquisition products and a wide range of sensors. Projects may involve instrumentation for commercial aircraft airframes equipped with hundreds of sensors to collect operational data, as well as military applications that record data during weapons tests or deployments. The team is also expanding into emerging areas such as battery-powered air vehicles, offering exposure to innovative technologies and evolving design requirements. Work is performed in a professional engineering environment equipped with modern electronic design automation tools and standard office productivity software, with regular collaboration among engineering disciplines and a focus on high-reliability, mission-critical hardware.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Newtown, PA.

Pay And Benefits

The pay range for this position is $43.00 - $55.00/hr.

Requirements

• Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment.
• Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms.
• If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following:
• Medical, dental & vision
• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
• 401(k) Retirement Plan – Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
• Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
• Short and long-term disability
• Health Spending Account (HSA)
• Transportation benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service. The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.