Principal Board Designer​/Senior Principal Board Designer

Relocation assistance:
No relocation assistance available.

Clearance required for start:
Yes.

Clearance type:
Secret.

Travel:
Yes, 10% of the time.

We are looking for you to join our team as a Principal/Senior Principal Board Designer based out of Baltimore, MD. This role may be staffed as hybrid out of Baltimore/Linthicum, MD.

The Principal/Senior Principal Board Designer is a core member of the eCAD team responsible for creating high quality printed circuit board (PCB) layouts that meet the electrical, mechanical, and manufacturability requirements of our products. You will work closely with schematic designers, hardware engineers, mechanical designers, and the manufacturing team to translate concepts into production-ready board designs, supporting a broad portfolio of defense-grade products.

• Develop complete PCB layouts – From component placement to routing, create multi-layer board designs that meet signal integrity, power distribution, and EMC requirements.
• Perform design rule checks (DRC) and sign off – Run automated DRC, signal integrity simulations, and thermal analyses; resolve violations and document compliance.
• Collaborate on cross-functional design reviews – Present designs to electrical, mechanical, and reliability teams; incorporate feedback and drive design closure.
• Support DFM/DFA initiatives – Work with PCB fabricators and assemblers to optimize stack-up, trace widths, via strategies, and test point placement for cost-effective manufacturing.
• Generate production documentation – Produce TGZ, drill files; ensure data integrity in the PLM system.
• Mentor junior designers – Provide guidance on best practices, standards, and tool usage; lead short technical workshops within the eCAD group.
• Stay current with industry trends – Evaluate emerging PCB technologies (high speed, flex rigid, HDI) and recommend tooling or workflow improvements.

• Bachelor’s Degree with 5 years of experience, master’s degree with 3 years of experience, Ph.D. with 1 year of experience in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics or related technical fields; an additional 4 years of experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
• U.S. Citizenship is required.
• Minimum of 5 years of hands‑on PCB layout experience in a high-volume or high‑complexity environment (digital, mixed signal, or RF).
• Minimum of 3 years of experience with Mentor Graphics (including advanced routing and stack‑up configuration). Alternate routing software experience will be considered.
• Minimum of 3 years of working knowledge of IPC 2221, IPC 6012 & 13, IPC 7351, and GD&T for PCB design.

• Bachelor’s Degree with 8 years of experience, master’s degree with 6 years of experience, Ph.D. with 4 years of experience in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics or related technical fields; an additional 4 years of experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
• U.S. Citizenship is required.
• Minimum of 5 years of hands‑on PCB layout experience in a high-volume or high‑complexity environment (digital, mixed signal, or RF).
• Minimum of 3 years of experience with Mentor Graphics (including advanced routing and stack‑up configuration). Alternate routing software experience will be considered.
• Minimum of 3 years of working knowledge of IPC 2221, IPC 6012 & 13, IPC 7351, and GD&T for PCB design.

• Expert working knowledge of the Mentor Xpedition software suite.
• Experience with high‑speed digital design (≥5
  
  Gbps) or RF/microwave PCB design.
• Experience with High Density Interconnect (HDI) and/or Array designs.
• Experience with power PCB designs.
• Familiarity with 3‑D mechanical integration tools (Solid Works, NX, Enovia).
• Working knowledge of industry compliance standards, to include but not limited to ASME‑Y14.5.
• Demonstrated success working in collaborative, fast‑paced development teams.
• Expert written and verbal communication; comfortable presenting technical concepts to cross‑functional teams.

Northrop Grumman provides a comprehensive benefits package and a work environment…