BOARD DESIGN ENGINEER JOB DESCRIPTION

Board design for a precision instrument. That one sentence describes what this role demands in defense and government electronics, where a single signal integrity failure or impedance miscalculation can compromise mission-critical hardware deployed by military and government customers. The Board Design Engineer owns the complete electrical design process - from requirement specification and schematic entry through multilayer stack-up definition, layout review, and bring-up - within programs that must meet IPC standards and, in many cases, security clearance requirements. Few engineering seats carry the same combination of technical depth and compliance accountability.

As the Board Design Engineer, you are responsible for translating system-level requirements into verified, manufacturable PCB hardware for defense and government electronics programs, owning design integrity from initial block diagram through final documentation release. You will operate within a multidisciplinary engineering team, partnering with systems integrators, layout engineers, and program managers to ensure every design meets both electrical performance specifications and applicable military or aerospace standards.

Career Impact: Sustained experience designing RF, analog, and high-speed digital boards for U.S. Military and government programs builds a credentialing depth - including IPC CID certification pathways and security clearance eligibility - that commands consistent premium in the defense electronics labor market.

Business Impact: The hardware this role produces forms the physical foundation of signal intelligence systems, avionics platforms, and secure communications equipment where design failures have direct operational consequences for end users in the field.

Growth Opportunity: Mastery of cascade analysis, avionics-grade design analyses such as WCA and FMECA, and compliance with MIL-STD-1553 opens a clear path toward senior hardware architect and systems engineering roles within government program offices and prime defense contractors.

• Design board-level schematics and define multilayer stack-up, impedance rules, and routing constraints to meet program specifications.
• Develop detailed system and board-level block diagrams to identify potential signal integrity and performance risks early in the design cycle.
• Perform signal integrity and power integrity analyses to verify conformance to electrical requirements before layout release.
• Review PCB layouts against design rules, DFM guidelines, and IPC standards, coordinating with layout engineers to resolve issues.
• Lead board bring-up, debug, and validation activities, executing detailed test plans against defined compliance and safety criteria.
• Coordinate with system integrators and cross-functional teams to ensure design solutions meet system-level requirements on schedule.
• Generate and maintain all required design documentation, including engineering BOMs, fabrication drawings, and design analysis reports, to support manufacturability and program continuity.

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, or Computer Engineering, or equivalent work experience.
• 5 or more years of board-level hardware design experience, with demonstrated ownership from schematic entry through production release.
• Proficiency in high-speed digital and RF board design concepts, including signal integrity analysis, impedance control, and EMI mitigation techniques.
• Experience defining multilayer stack-ups and routing strategies for high-speed serial interfaces operating above 10 Gb/s.
• Familiarity with IPC, JEDEC, MIL-STD, or aerospace electronics development standards applicable to defense or government programs.
• Strong bring-up and debug skills using high-speed digital oscilloscopes, network analyzers, and related bench instrumentation.
• Ability to prepare and review design analysis documentation, including cascade analysis, FMECA, or equivalent engineering review artifacts.

• IPC CID or CID+ certification, or active progress toward it, reflecting formal grounding in PCB design standards.
• Experience with avionics circuit design disciplines including WCA, EPSA, and formal design review processes under aerospace program structures.
• Active security clearance or demonstrated eligibility and willingness to obtain one for government contract work.
• Exposure to RF system design including transceiver architecture, frequency synthesis, or PLL design to 18 GHz.

• Design review pass rate, measured by the proportion of layouts approved without major rework cycles.
• Bring-up cycle time, reflecting how quickly a new board reaches stable functional operation after first power-on.
• Documentation completeness score, tracking whether all required design artifacts are released on schedule per program milestones.
• Specification conformance rate, measuring how consistently delivered boards pass first-pass compliance and safety testing.
• EMI/EMC first-pass compliance rate, indicating how well designs meet radiated and conducted emissions limits without redesign.
• Typical tools: Schematic capture and PCB layout (commonly Cadence Allegro, Altium Designer, or OrCAD), EM simulation (commonly CST Studio)

• Base Salary Range: $105,000 to $145,000 annually, depending on seniority and clearance level.
• Bonus: Annual performance bonus, typically 5 to 12 percent of base salary.
• Equity: Uncommon at program-level roles; offered selectively at senior or architect levels.
• Health Benefits: Medical, dental, and vision coverage; most defense employers cover the majority of premiums.
• PTO: 15 to 20 days annually, plus federal holidays commonly observed.
• Common Perks: Security clearance sponsorship, tuition reimbursement, professional certification support including IPC CID.

Figures are estimates based on general US market benchmarks and may be outdated. Adjust based on location, company size, and seniority level.

Work authorization in the United States is required for all positions; certain programs may require the ability to obtain a federal security clearance. Employment is contingent on the successful completion of a background check, which may include criminal history review and, where program-specific requirements apply, a credit history check. Reasonable accommodations will be provided to qualified individuals with disabilities throughout the application and employment process upon request. All qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.

The Board Design Engineer owns the full design lifecycle for advanced RF, FPGA-heavy, and DSP wireless systems built for U.S. Military, Government, and Commercial markets, coordinating and mentoring junior staff while constructing system and board level block diagrams. Working closely with system integrators, this role delivers solutions that meet rigorous system requirements and ensures all documentation supports manufacturability and ongoing technical support.

Key Responsibilities

• Coordinate, monitor, and mentor junior staff on design efforts.
• Construct detailed system and board level block diagrams and identify potential issues.
• Devise detailed requirements documents prior to starting any design.
• Work with system integrators to develop solutions that meet system requirements.
• Steer the design review process, document results, and execute changes.
• Test and verify that design performance meets required specifications.
• Create all required design documentation to ensure manufacturability and ongoing technical support.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science or Master of Science in Electrical Engineering.
• 5+ years of RF system and board level design experience.
• 5+ years of experience with CAD/CAE tools for schematic capture and PCB layout.
• 2 years of experience in Wireless Communications and Transceiver Design preferred.
• Experience with transceiver design, frequency conversion, frequency synthesizers, and PLLs to 18 GHz.
• Experience with broadband RF design with bandwidth greater than 100 MHz.
• Experience developing full cascade analysis to determine system performance.
• Experience using EM field simulation and analysis software like CST Studio.
• Knowledge of OrCAD and Allegro flow is a plus.

Embedded within a cross-functional hardware organization, the Board Design Engineer leads the multidisciplinary design and development of cloud compute server boards, add-on cards, front panels, and IO backplane products from specification through production. Working closely with suppliers, contractors, and senior design engineers, this role delivers high-quality board solutions that meet system-level architectures on schedule.

Core Functions

• Lead the multidisciplinary design and development of cloud compute server board, add-on card, front panel, and IO backplane products.
• Interface with cross-functional teams to develop system level architectures and board level implementations.
• Prepare specifications, BOM, design, and schematic entry internally and oversee design work at external suppliers.
• Develop layout guidelines for PCBs and guide Layout Engineers to meet all physical and electrical requirements.
• Analyze designs with simulation tools and calculations to verify conformance to design requirements.
• Lead layout, system bring-up, and debug.
• Work with suppliers, contractors, and senior design engineers to ensure products are developed on time with high quality.
• Specify production test methods and limits.

Qualifications and Experience

• Strong background in high speed design signal integrity issues, power distribution techniques, and x-86 processors.
• Experience with implementation of high speed serial busses such as SAS/SATA, PCIe, and USB, and high speed parallel busses including DDR2/3 and CPU front side bus.
• Experience in PCB fabrication/assembly, compatibility, and reliability testing.
• Strong bring-up and debug experience.
• Strong leadership, presentation, and verbal and written communication skills required.

Reporting to the global design team, the Board Design Engineer shapes AMD Graphic reference board and production board design through schematic design, component selection, cost control, and layout guidance for dGPU products. Partnering with silicon bring-up, Marketing, and Silicon teams, this role advances platform solutions that bring competitive GPU products to market worldwide.

Primary Duties

• Design AMD Graphic reference boards and production boards, including schematic design, components selection, cost control, and layout guidance.
• Provide and drive the platform solution by leading related design teams.
• Provide technical guidance to the customer support team.
• Work closely with the silicon bring-up team, Marketing, and Silicon team for product definition and board specifications.
• Drive innovation to optimize designs and document all technical design files.

Skills and Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related field.
• Minimum 5 years of hands-on experience in PWM power design in PC, Consumer, and Telecom.
• Solid knowledge of analog/digital mixed signal, power design, thermal design, EMI, and power integrity.
• Knowledge of high-speed design including PCIe, DisplayPort, HDMI, and high speed memory.
• Strong experience in Cadence tools such as Concept and Allegro.
• Strong experience with silicon and board bring-up and debug.
• Good verbal and written English communication skills required.
• Strong leadership, presentation, and team-oriented skills.

Sitting at the intersection of electrical design and system validation, the Board Design Engineer defines board layout constraints, performs signal integrity analysis, and prepares engineering BOMs for high speed modules built from requirement specifications. Operating across schematic entry, bring-up, compliance testing, and manufacturing test definition, this role ensures designs meet performance requirements and are ready for production.

Duties

• Design electrical modules from requirement specifications including voltage regulator design and system power budget estimation.
• Prepare detailed design documents and perform schematic entry in Concept HDL.
• Define board layout constraints, routing guidelines, stack-up, and impedance rules.
• Perform signal integrity analysis and review PCB layout.
• Prepare engineering BOM and review designs for DFM/DFT.
• Prepare and perform detailed board bring-up and validation plans.
• Assist in system-level compliance tests, safety tests, and manufacturing test function definition.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Electronics or Electrical Engineering.
• 2-4 years of experience in high speed board design and testing.
• Experience in Concept HDL schematic entry tool and Cadence Allegro Board layout tool.
• Proficient in high speed board design concepts with SI simulation and analysis experience as a plus.
• Experience in defining stack-up and routing strategy for boards operating above 10 Gb/s.
• Experience in design and validation of high speed serial interfaces including PCIe and SATA.
• Knowledge of Intel x86 architecture and reliability analysis.
• Hands-on experience with high speed digital oscilloscopes and data analyzers.
• Programming and scripting capabilities and strong understanding of Linux operating systems as an advantage.

A key member of the hardware design team, the Board Design Engineer builds and owns complete CAD layouts for digital, analog, RF, and power conversion PCBs supporting unmanned robotic systems for defense and commercial applications. Collaborating across manufacturing, PCB vendors, and internal engineering teams, this role delivers design releases that meet DFM guidelines and IPC standards while continuously improving design rules and constraints.

Accountabilities

• Complete development of CAD layout including symbol creation, floor planning, component placement, constraints management, and routing.
• Determine layer stack-up and perform component package selection, routing feasibility studies, and signal routing of digital, analog, RF, and power conversion PCBs.
• Generate artwork files, ODB+, fabrication and assembly drawings, and electronic PCB documentation for design releases.
• Interface with Manufacturing to produce designs that meet DFM guidelines.
• Troubleshoot PCB basic functionality and complex systems.
• Create and maintain PCB design libraries and release documentation for fabrication.
• Collaborate with internal teams and PCB vendors to improve design rules, constraints, and design for test and manufacture guidelines.
• Document work and assist with transitioning new capabilities, technologies, and prototypes into production.

Experience and Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering.
• 5+ years of experience with Altium Designer Version 19 or higher.
• Knowledge of IPC standards and familiarity with common protocols such as RS-485, RS-232, CAN, I2C, SPI, and USB.
• Experience working closely with PCB fabricators before design release.
• Experience in RF circuit layout and knowledge of dielectric material types and manufacturers.
• Experience designing multilayer stack-ups up to 14 layers.
• Proficient in high-density/high-speed design, signal integrity techniques, low-noise design, and EMI/EMC minimization.
• IPC CID or CID+ certification is a plus.
• Must be willing to work on government contracts and obtain a security clearance.

Reliable production of commercial hardware depends on the Board Design Engineer, who develops conceptual electrical circuitry designs within CAD software, manages PCB layout for vendor production, and supports EMI/EMC and video component testing across the full product lifecycle. Based within a smaller company environment, this role serves as a cradle-to-grave engineering contributor spanning schematic capture, DFM reconfiguration, and root-cause failure analysis.

Key Deliverables

• Develop conceptual electrical circuitry designs within CAD software.
• Design PCB layouts for electrical circuitry to be provided to vendors for production.
• Reconfigure existing electrical designs to support DFM and replace obsolete components with state-of-the-art alternatives.
• Support production in root-cause determination for electrical-related failures.
• Support in-house EMI/EMC testing of hardware and electrical designs.
• Support in-house testing of all video and display components using high-quality cameras and test units.
• Proactively troubleshoot and problem-solve to ensure quality products.
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Professional Experience

• Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering or directly related field, Master's degree preferred.
• 8+ years of related electrical engineering experience.
• Experience with embedded CPUs, FPGA or DSP based processor interfaces, A/D and D/A conversion design, and video technology including encoders and decoders.
• FPGA design experience using VHDL or Verilog.
• Schematic capture and board layout using tools such as OrCAD, Cadence, or Mentor Graphics.
• Familiarity with EMC/EMI and knowledge of power requirements.
• Experience with hardware/software and hardware/mechanical integration.
• Experience designing commercial products from cradle to grave in smaller companies preferred.
• Ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously while meeting deadlines and ensuring quality outcomes.

As the Board Design Engineer, this role leads complete CAD layout development including schematic capture and layout of antenna designs for PCBs containing digital, analog, RF, and antenna components. The hardware team relies on this work to produce design releases, maintain PCB documentation accuracy, and optimize layouts through automation tools and scripts in close coordination with antenna engineers and PCB vendors.

Role Responsibilities

• Complete development of CAD layout including symbol creation, floor planning, component placement, constraints management, and routing.
• Own PCB designs containing digital, analog, RF, and antenna components.
• Generate artwork files, ODB++, fabrication and assembly drawings, and electronic PCB documentation for design releases.
• Work with PCB vendors to confirm stack-up design, review impedance calculations, and address EQs.
• Perform schematic capture and layout of antenna designs working closely with antenna engineers.
• Optimize designs using automation tools and scripts.
• Respond to and incorporate DFM comments and component inquiries.
• Perform PCB First Article Inspection to verify designs meet standards and generate symbols and footprints based on data sheets.

Background and Experience

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.
• 5+ years of relevant experience in PCB layout/routing design, stack-up and impedance calculations, and high speed routing techniques.
• Expertise with Cadence Allegro for board layout and Cadence OrCAD for schematic designs.
• Thorough understanding of the relationship between physical layout and electrical performance, RF performance, and emissions.
• Familiarity with IPC, JEDEC, IEEE, and other electronic standards.
• Detailed knowledge of PCB manufacturing and assembly processes.

Board Design Engineer designs and develops custom analog/digital circuits for advanced avionics applications, generating board-level circuit requirements, circuit design specifications, and design analyses including WCA, EPSA, and FMECA. The work directly supports avionics program quality by ensuring board signal integrity and power integrity analyses are completed in alignment with military and aerospace standards.

Engineering Responsibilities

• Generate board-level circuit requirements and create circuit design specifications.
• Design and develop custom analog/digital circuits for advanced avionics applications.
• Generate and review design analysis including WCA, EPSA, and FMECA.
• Perform schematic capture and provide board layout guidelines.
• Perform board signal integrity and power integrity analyses.

Technical Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related technical field.
• 5+ years of experience with high-speed digital circuit design.
• 5+ years of experience capturing electronic circuit schematics and generating component symbols and footprints using Mentor DxDesigner/Expedition or Altium tool suite.
• 5+ years of experience with electronic assembly fabrication and manufacturing processes.
• Good understanding of communication protocols including SpaceWire, MIL-STD-1553, and SPI.
• Familiarity with IPC or electronics development-related military/aerospace standards.

The Board Design Engineer owns RF board design and tuning activities aligned to chip requirements, including isolation, maximum output power, and RX sensitivity, to ensure boards meet system KPIs. Working closely with the system team and DVT engineers, this role delivers verified board performance and resolves hardware issues to support product launch.

What You'll Do

• Understand chip RF parameters and requirements.
• Design boards following chip requirements including isolation, maximum output power, and RX sensitivity to system KPIs.
• Specify board KPIs including board-related loss.
• Complete board tuning and work with system team to ensure boards meet KPIs.
• Work with DVT engineers to resolve issues.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering.
• 0-3 years of industry experience.
• Good understanding of electronics engineering fundamentals, RF circuits, and RF performance metrics including Sensitivity, Intermodulation, Tx Power, ACLR, EVM, and S-parameters.
• Hands-on knowledge of RF instrument operation including Signal Generators, Spectrum Analyzers, Power Meters, and Network Analyzers.
• Knowledge of statistical data processing using data analysis tools such as JMP and Data Power.