Electronics Design Engineer

Permanent position 35 hour 4 day week. Interface2 Ltd is an established (1996) electronics manufacturing company providing PCB assembly, cable assembly, electromechanical assembly and related manufacturing services. We are looking for an experienced Electronics Design Engineer to support customer projects from initial requirements through prototype manufacture and production. This is a practical engineering role within a small manufacturing business. The successful candidate will work closely with customers, suppliers and production staff to ensure that designs are technically sound, fully documented and suitable for reliable manufacture.

The role The Electronics Design Engineer will be responsible for supporting new and existing products, improving manufacturing documentation, resolving production issues and helping customers turn concepts or incomplete design information into controlled, manufacturable products. The role will include:
Electronic circuit design, component selection and schematic capture. PCB design, layout or design review. Reviewing customer designs for manufacturability, assembly and test. Preparing and maintaining bills of materials, drawings, specifications and manufacturing instructions. Reviewing Gerber files, PCB data, wiring diagrams and customer technical information. Supporting prototype builds and new product introduction. Investigating manufacturing faults and identifying practical corrective actions. Supporting component substitutions, obsolescence management and supply-chain issues.

Designing or specifying production test methods, fixtures and jigs. Supporting controlled engineering changes and document revisions. Communicating technical requirements clearly to customers, suppliers and production personnel. Assisting production with specialist testing and fault finding. Essential skills and experience Candidates should have experience in several of the following areas:
Electronic circuit design and fault finding. Schematic capture and PCB design using KiCad, Altium Designer, OrCAD or a comparable ECAD system. PCB assembly processes, including surface-mount, through-hole, solder paste, reflow and hand assembly. Design for manufacture, assembly and test: DFM, DFA and DFT. Reading and producing technical drawings, bills of materials, wiring diagrams and manufacturing specifications. Reviewing Gerber files and PCB manufacturing data.

Component selection, alternative-part assessment and lifecycle management. Supporting prototypes and introducing new products into manufacture. Engineering change control, revision control and technical documentation. Embedded progamming Desirable experience The following would be advantageous:
Previous experience within an electronics contract manufacturing environment. Cable assembly or wiring-harness design. Mechanical CAD for enclosures, brackets, fixtures or production tooling.

Experience with Solid Works, Fusion 360, Inventor, FreeCAD, Onshape or a similar system. Design of test fixtures, manufacturing jigs and 3D-printed production aids. Knowledge of IPC-A-610, J-STD-001, IPC/WHMA-A-620 or related standards. Experience working within an ISO 9001 quality management system. ISO 14001 or environmental management awareness.

Experience with low-to-medium-volume and high-mix manufacturing. Basic programming or scripting skills, particularly Python, for test automation, data processing or engineering tools. About you The successful candidate will:
Be a practical engineer who is comfortable working on the production floor. Understand the difference between a design that works in principle and one that can be manufactured reliably. Be capable of working independently and taking responsibility for engineering projects. Be methodical when controlling drawings, specifications and revisions. Be comfortable working with incomplete, older or inconsistent customer documentation. Be able to manage several smaller projects at the same time.

Communicate technical matters clearly to customers and non-design personnel. Be willing to challenge unsuitable designs and propose workable alternatives. Have a strong focus on quality, reliability and practical results. Qualifications A degree, HNC, HND, engineering apprenticeship or equivalent practical experience in electronics, electrical, electromechanical or product design engineering would be suitable. Formal qualifications are valued, but relevant manufacturing and design experience will be equally important.

What we offer…