PCB Designer (Starship)

Responsibilities

• Determine layer stack-up, perform component package selection, component placement, routing feasibility studies, and signal routing of digital, analog, RF, and power conversion of printed circuit boards (PCB)
• Perform multilayer PCB layout (20+ layers), including component placement, high-speed routing (differential pairs, length matching), controlled impedance, and power/ground plane design
• Conduct pre- and post-layout SI/PI simulations to mitigate crosstalk, reflections, and EMI/EMC issues
• Perform DRC/ERC checks, peer reviews, and design audits; collaborate with hardware/firmware engineers for functional validation and prototype bring-up support
• Produce fabrication deliverables (Gerber, ODB++, IPC-2581, drill files, stack-up drawings, assembly files)
• Analyze designs for manufacturability; incorporate production feedback from fabrication houses and assembly partners to reduce costs and improve yield
• Collaborate with internal teams and PCB vendors to continually improve design rules, constraints and design for test and manufacture guidelines
• Customize and verify symbols, footprints, and 3D models; interface with PCB librarians for new parts and resolve library discrepancies
• Work with mechanical, thermal, RF, and test engineers on stack-up planning, thermal vias, shielding, and enclosure integration; participate in design reviews and risk assessments
• Assist our librarians in creating, updating, and maintaining accurate PCB component libraries including symbols, footprints, 3D STEP models, and parametric data in CAD tools like Altium and Xpedition
• Drive the future roadmap for SpaceX to incorporate custom AI tools to radically improve the efficiency of PCB design tasks

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering OR 3+ years of professional experience with PCB layout in lieu of a degree (internships and club/project work applies)
• 2+ years of experience with PCB layout and routing in one or all of the following areas: modern passive and active electronics components, surface-mount, RF components, ball-grid array and similar fine pitch, or high pin density components
• 1+ years of experience with ECAD libraries and library configuration management
• Demonstrated understanding of design for manufacturability, assembly, and test
• Experience with Mentor Xpedition and/or Altium Designer (Mentor Xpedition preferred)
• Experience with layout of mixed analog and digital designs, high speed buses, FPGA, DRAM and CPU designs, power supplies, DC-DC converters, transmission lines, impedance-controlled traces and power traces
• Proficiency in generating fabrication outputs (Gerber, ODB++, IPC-2581, drill files), DFM/DFA analysis, constraint-driven design, and collaboration with libraries (symbols, footprints, 3D models)
• Ability to visualize component placement and interconnectivity
• Proficiency in Python, Altium/Mentor Xpedition scripting, or similar for automating library tasks, data extraction, and validation
• Demonstrated cross functional project management skills and ability to collaborate with other engineering disciplines
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills