SMT Engineer (Surface Mount Technology)

Location: Manistee, MI

Department: Engineering

Reports To: Engineering Manager

Position Overview

The SMT Engineer plays a critical role in supporting a high-volume Surface Mount Technology (SMT) manufacturing environment, producing a wide range of PCBA products. This position serves as a key liaison between Design, Operations, and Quality to ensure products are manufacturable, cost-effective, and meet all quality and compliance standards.

This role is heavily focused on New Product Introduction (NPI), prototype development, and successfully transitioning products into full-scale production. The ideal candidate brings strong hands-on SMT experience and thrives in a fast-paced, continuous improvement-driven environment.

Key Responsibilities

NPI & Process Development

• Lead SMT NPI efforts from prototype through production release
• Participate in Design for Manufacturability (DFM) reviews of PCBAs, BOMs, and processes
• Develop process flows, stencils, tooling, and fixturing for new product builds
• Plan and execute prototype builds, ensuring quality, traceability, and on-time delivery
• Capture and communicate lessons learned from prototype runs

Manufacturing & Production Support

• Support the transition of new products into production with optimized processes
• Program SMT equipment for prototype and NPI builds
• Troubleshoot process and equipment issues using root cause analysis
• Partner with Maintenance to ensure equipment uptime and reliability

Quality & Compliance

• Ensure all builds meet quality, traceability, and regulatory requirements
• Support internal, customer, and third-party audits
• Maintain accurate technical documentation, reports, and records

Collaboration & Communication

• Work cross-functionally with Engineering, Manufacturing, and Quality teams
• Interface with equipment vendors for implementation and ongoing support
• Present technical findings, updates, and recommendations to stakeholders

Required Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in SMT manufacturing (printing, placement, reflow, AOI, ICT)
• Strong hands-on experience in high-volume production environments
• Proven troubleshooting and root cause analysis expertise
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Experience with Design for Manufacturability (DFM) principles

Preferred Qualifications

• 5+ years of NPI engineering experience
• Experience with SMT equipment such as:
• Promation CO2 Laser Marker
• GKG solder paste printers
• Omron SPI/AOI systems
• Juki pick-and-place machines
• Reflow ovens and conveyors
• Functional test systems (e.g., Keysight)
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or equivalent technical experience

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary: $80,000 – $110,000 (based on experience)
• Bonus eligibility
• Medical, Dental, Vision, and supplemental insurance
• 4–5 weeks PTO 

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