Description
About Safari Circuits
At Safari Circuits, we believe our drive for a family-like culture makes a positive impact on our team and the quality of products we produce. We manufacture Printed Circuit Board Assemblies (PCBAs) for the global electronics market. We are a growing business, and we meet the stringent regulatory demands of medical, military, and defense fields. Founded in 1985, Safari Circuits provides world-class electronics development and manufacturing services to our customers and has a proven track record of creating stability within our ever-growing team. We are ready to shape a stronger future for our company and invest in your success.
Senior Manufacturing Engineer - SMT
Department: Process Engineering
Reports To: Process Engineering Manager
Employment Type: Full-Time - Exempt
Job Summary
The Senior Manufacturing Engineer SMT is a technical leader responsible for developing and sustaining world-class SMT (Surface Mount Technology) processes for printed circuit board assembly (PCBA). This role drives advanced process development, automation integration, and continuous improvement initiatives to ensure robust, scalable, and cost-optimized manufacturing. The engineer will serve as a subject matter expert (SME) in SMT technologies, influencing design for manufacturability, mentoring engineering teams, and leading strategic initiatives in line with operational excellence and Industry 4.0
Responsibilities:
SMT Process & Equipment Operation
- Lead advanced setup, calibration, and optimization of SMT equipment including stencil printers, pick-and-place machines, reflow ovens, AOI, SPI, and X-ray systems.
- Develop and implement advanced SMT processes, including new equipment integration and automation.
- Lead advanced SMT and SPI programming, validation, and optimization.
- Serve as the technical SME for SMT processes, equipment, and materials.
- Interface with vendors for equipment upgrades, trials, and evaluations.
- Lead the design, optimization, and sustainment of SMT assembly processes (stencil printing, placement, reflow, AOI/SPI).
- Serve as SME in SMT program development, including CAD/CAM data translation (Gerber, ODB++), feeder optimization, and reflow profiling.
- Provide strategic guidance in equipment selection, factory layout, and automation investments.
- Develop and sustain preventive and predictive maintenance strategies to minimize downtime.
- Act as a technical liaison with equipment vendors, leading equipment acceptance testing (FAT/SAT) and integration.
Quality & Inspection Support
- Drive root cause analysis and corrective actions for complex defects and yield issues.
- Analyze production data to identify trends, improve throughput, and reduce defects.
- Ensure compliance with IPC standards and internal quality requirements.
- Collaborate with engineering and quality teams on process development, DFM reviews, and NPI builds.
- Drive Design for Manufacturability (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA) in collaboration with product design teams.
- Collaborate with cross-functional leadership on PFMEA and control plans to strengthen quality and risk mitigation.
- Support regulatory and quality system requirements (IPC standards).
- Develop and execute advanced validation strategies (DOE, MSA, GR&R, capability studies) to establish process robustness and yield improvements.
Continuous Improvement
- Lead cross-functional teams in process improvement, yield enhancement, and automation projects.
- Lead or support Lean, Six Sigma, and Kaizen initiatives to improve efficiency and quality.
- Drive systemic troubleshooting and yield improvement initiatives.
- Lead cost reduction and process efficiency projects through automation, material optimization, and workflow improvements.
- Contribute to corporate strategy for advanced manufacturing, including Industry 4.0, digital twin modeling, and smart factory solutions.
- Analyze production data and implement data-driven solutions.
Training and Documentation
- Author and maintain advanced work instructions, SOPs, and training programs.
- Mentor and train Technicians IIII and SMT Operators, fostering a culture of technical excellence.
- Mentor engineers, technicians, and operators, building organizational capability in SMT technologies.
- Support career development across the team.
Preferred Qualifications and Character Traits:
- Education: Bachelor's degree or Master's degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical discipline preferred. Equivalent combination of education and experience will also be considered.
- Experience: 710 years of hands-on SMT/PCBA manufacturing experience preferred, with at least 2 years in a senior or lead engineering/technician role demonstrating leadership responsibilities. Candidates with strong skills but slightly less experience are encouraged to apply.
- SMT Expertise: Knowledge of SMT platforms, solder paste printing, placement optimization, reflow profiling, defect prevention, solder paste chemistry, and stencil design preferred. Advanced expertise is a plus.
- Quality & Standards: Familiarity with IPC-A-610, J-STD-001, and advanced IPC certifications (CIS, CIT preferred), as well as ISO 9001, IATF 16949, AS9100, or other regulated industry quality systems, is desirable.
- Engineering Tools: Experience with statistical software (Minitab), CAD tools, and manufacturing data formats (Gerber, ODB++, IPC-2581) preferred.
- Automation & Industry 4.0: Exposure to automation, robotics, and cobots in SMT/PCBA assembly is helpful. Knowledge of digital manufacturing, Industry 4.0, IoT, MES, and smart factory analytics is a plus.
- Inspection & Validation: Familiarity with advanced inspection systems (AOI, SPI, X-ray) and experience with specifying, sourcing, validating, or integrating SMT capital equipment is desirable.
- Capital Projects & ROI: Experience leading multi-million-dollar capital projects with measurable ROI and operational improvements.
- Environmental & Compliance: Knowledge of environmental compliance (RoHS, REACH) and sustainability initiatives is preferred.
- Leadership & Collaboration: Strong leadership, communication, and mentoring skills are highly valued. Ability to influence cross-functional teams and deliver successful project outcomes is a plus.
Benefits
- 401(k) matching
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Tuition reimbursement
- Promotion opportunities
- Climate-controlled facility
EEO Statement
Safari Circuits, LLC. is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Native American & Veteran Hiring Preferences will be applied in accordance with Waséyabek Development Company policy. We are committed to making merit-based hiring decisions. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, citizenship, marital status, height or weight, veteran status, or any other legally protected category.
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