Sr. Principal Design Engineer

Northrop Grumman Northrop Grumman · Aerospace · Rolling Meadows, IL +3 · Systems/Architecture/Test

Northrop Grumman is seeking a Sr. Principal Design Engineer with expertise in Circuit Card Assembly (CCA) and Printed Circuit Board (PCB) fabrication. The role involves generating and maintaining design rules, performing design for manufacturing checks, generating PCB notes, calculating layer stack-ups, and utilizing CAD tools like Cadence Allegro and Valor NPI to create electronic data files for fabrication. The engineer will also serve as the main interface with CCA and PCB suppliers and understand technical theories of electrical and mechanical behavior of PCBs to influence layout decisions.

What you'd actually do

  1. Uses their expert knowledge in Circuit Card Assembly (CCA) and Printed Circuit Board (PCB) fabrication to generate and maintain design rules, perform design for manufacturing checks, generate PCB notes for fabrication.
  2. Calculates layer stack-up based on industry standards, supplier capabilities, and engineering requirements.
  3. Utilizes computer-aided design graphic tools such as Cadence Allegro and Valor NPI to generate the required electronic data file outputs for fabrication and manufacturing and runs design for manufacturing checks.
  4. Uses their excellent communication skills to be the team's main interface with CCA and PCB suppliers.
  5. Understands technical theories of electrical and mechanical behavior of PCBs to influence layout decisions (i.e. impedance matching, differential pairs, strains and stresses, orientation of components, etc.)

Skills

Required

  • Bachelor's degree in STEM field with 8 years of experience, or Master's degree in STEM field with 6 years of experience OR in lieu of the degree an additional 4 years of relevant work experience.
  • Experience in PCB fabrication and layer stack-up for digital, RF, mixed signal, and power supply CCAs
  • Experience with Cadence Allegro or similar CAD tool
  • Expert knowledge of industry specifications and design for manufacturing (DFM) rules for CCA and PCB design, fabrication and manufacturing
  • Must be able to read drawings and schematic diagrams
  • US Citizenship and the ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance

Nice to have

  • Advanced degree in STEM field
  • Experience in quality and testing of CCAs and PCBs
  • Good self-organizing, and communication skills

What the JD emphasized

  • PCB fabrication
  • design for manufacturing (DFM) rules