Design and release complex multilayer PCBs for space vehicles, including component placement, routing, stack-up design, signal and power integrity, EMI/EMC, fabrication documentation, DRC/LVS, and DFM reviews. Collaborate with electrical, RF, mechanical, test, firmware, manufacturing, and fabrication teams. Maintain PCB libraries, footprints, design standards, revision control, and documentation while ensuring IPC compliance and manufacturability.
As a PCB Layout Design Engineer, you will be responsible for developing the PCBs for Impulse’s next generation of space vehicles. You will work closely with electrical, RF, mechanical, test and firmware teams to enable rapid, reliable, and high-quality PCB development.
Responsibilities
- Design multilayer PCB layouts (analog, digital, power, RF, and mixed-signal) from schematic capture through fabrication and assembly release.
- Perform component placement, routing, and layer stack-up design optimized for signal integrity, power integrity, thermal management, and EMI/EMC.
- Collaborate with electrical engineers to review and translate schematics into accurate, IPC-compliant PCB layouts.
- Review new component requests and validate footprints, 3D models, pin assignments, and layout constraints.
- Generate and maintain fabrication and assembly documentation (Gerbers, ODB++, drill files, fab/assembly drawings, BOMs, netlists).
- Manage design rule checks (DRC), layout-versus-schematic (LVS), and design-for-manufacturability (DFM) reviews.
- Interface with fabrication houses and PCBA contract manufacturers to incorporate DFM feedback and ensure manufacturability, yield, and quality.
- Collaborate with electrical, RF, mechanical, test, and manufacturing teams to enable rapid, reliable, high-quality PCB development.
- Maintain PCB libraries, footprints, and design standards; enforce revision control and documentation practices.
Minimum Qualifications
- 4+ years of professional PCB layout/design experience.
- Expert proficiency with Altium Designer.
- Strong knowledge of high-density, high-speed digital, controlled-impedance routing, and multilayer stack-up design.
- Solid understanding of signal integrity, power distribution, grounding, and EMI/EMC best practices.
- Working knowledge of IPC standards (IPC-2221, IPC-7351, IPC-A-600/610) including DFM considerations.
- Knowledge of PCB fabrication, assembly processes, materials, and manufacturing constraints.
- Experience releasing designs to fabrication and assembly, including DFM/DFA optimization.
- Ability to read and interpret schematics, datasheets, and mechanical drawings.
- Ability to work effectively in cross-functional engineering teams and communicate across disciplines.
Preferred Skills and Experience
- 4+ years of experience designing hardware for aerospace, defense, space, or other high reliability environments.
- Familiarity with boards containing microcontrollers, FPGAs, high-speed interfaces, RF/mixed-signal circuits, or power management.
- Familiarity with RF/microwave layout and rigid-flex PCB design.
- 2+ years of experience with Altium 365, PLM/data management systems, and version control.
- 2+ years of experience in a startup or agile development environment.
Additional Information:
Compensation bands are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual level and base pay is determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on job-related skills, education, experience, technical capabilities and internal equity. In addition to base salary, for full-time hires, you may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of stock options, and access to medical, vision & dental coverage as well as access to a 401(k) retirement plan.
Impulse Space’s spacecraft manufacturing business is subject to U.S. export regulations including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and Export Administration Regulations (EAR). This position requires applicants to be either U.S. Persons (i.e., U.S. citizen, U.S. national, lawful permanent U.S. resident (green card holder), an individual granted asylum in the U.S., or an individual admitted in U.S. refugee status) or persons eligible to obtain an export license from the U.S. Departments of State, Commerce, or other applicable U.S. government agencies. Learn more about the ITAR here.
Impulse Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Impulse Space is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.
About
Impulse Space, the in-space transportation company founded by Tom Mueller, is opening access beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO) with its fleet of in-space transportation vehicles. The high-energy Helios vehicle unlocks orbits beyond LEO with its powerful Deneb engine, dropping off payloads in MEO, GEO, heliocentric, lunar, and other planetary orbits. The flight-proven Mira vehicle uses a nontoxic, high-impulse chemical propulsion system to offer orbital transport, constellation deployment, and precision reentry services to customers throughout LEO. Led by a team that delivered the most reliable rockets in history, Impulse provides economical and efficient in-space transportation by reliably and rapidly getting customers where they want to go.
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