Principal PCB Design Engineer

About the role

Join a team where your impact reaches beyond the stars! At Terran Orbital, you're not just part of the system - you're a vital force propelling our mission forward. As trailblazers in satellite manufacturing and aerospace innovation, we shatter boundaries daily to deliver groundbreaking solutions that power our nation's defense and commercial missions.

We are a unique, fast growing, and trusted team dedicated to swiftly and efficiently designing, building, launching, and operating state of the art satellites for advanced mission constellations. If you're driven by purpose, inspired by challenges, and ready to leave your mark on the universe, you'll find a home and endless opportunities for growth here. Together, let's redefine what is possible in orbit and beyond!

Terran Orbital is seeking an experienced Principal PCB Design Engineer to join our dynamic team. Reporting to the Manager, PCB Design, the Principal PCB Design Engineer will lead complex board-level design efforts, drive best practices, and help shape the long-term technical direction of the team. This role is critical to supporting current program needs while also providing future leadership capability as the organization evolves. Candidates with experience in aerospace or space-qualified electronics will be highly preferred.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Serve as the technical SME for PCB design, guiding architecture, layout strategies, component selection, stackups, routing constraints, and overall design integrity.
• Lead the design and execution of complex, high-density, mixed-signal, RF, and power electronics circuit boards used in space and aerospace applications.
• Collaborate closely with Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, Manufacturing, and Reliability teams to ensure designs meet performance, manufacturability, cost, and schedule targets.
• Drive design reviews, including schematic, layout, DFM, DFA, and signal/power integrity assessments.
• Develop and enforce PCB design standards, workflows, libraries, and best practices across the team.
• Provide mentorship, guidance, and day-to-day technical support to junior and mid-level PCB designers.
• Partner with leadership to refine long-term organizational structure, capabilities, and staffing as the PCB team grows.
• Manage vendor interactions related to fabrication and assembly, including stackup development, build notes, and manufacturing constraints.
• Support failure analysis, root cause investigations, and corrective actions on PCB-related issues.
• Maintain strong documentation discipline to support flight hardware traceability and audit requirements.

Required Qualifications and Skills

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, or related technical field.
• 12+ years of experience in PCB design, including ownership of complex, multi-layer, high-reliability board designs.
• Deep proficiency with industry-standard ECAD tools (Altium Designer preferred).
• Demonstrated expertise in high-speed digital design, power distribution design, RF considerations, and signal/power integrity principles.
• Experience driving PCB designs from concept through fabrication, assembly, validation, and release to production.
• Strong understanding of DFM/DFA principles and working with PCB fabrication and assembly vendors.
• Ability to lead technical decision-making, mentor others, and influence cross-functional design outcomes.
• Excellent communication skills and comfort presenting technical content to engineering leadership.
• Must be a U.S. Person or lawful permanent resident to comply with U.S. government space technology export regulations.

Preferred Qualifications and Skills

• Experience designing electronics for space or aerospace environments (radiation considerations, thermal constraints, reliability requirements, derating standards, etc.).
• Experience with IPC standards (IPC-2221/2222, IPC-6012, etc.).
• Familiarity with ECSS, NASA, or MIL standards related to electronic hardware.
• Experience developing or managing PCB libraries and design processes.
• Prior experience providing informal leadership or mentorship within an engineering team.

Pay and benefits

Your actual level and base salary will be determined case-by-case and may vary based on the job-related qualification, knowledge, skills, education, and experience. In addition to base salary, we offer 100% covered medical, dental, and vision coverage, a 401(k) match, Flexible Time Off (FTO), covered life insurance, maternity and paternity leave, tuition reimbursement, employee referrals, and lots of swag!

Benefits

• 100% Company-paid comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage for you and your dependents
• 401(k) Match
• Flexible Time Off (FTO)
• Education Reimbursement
• Competitive Paid Parental Leave

Physical Demands

• An employee must meet the physical demands described to perform the essential functions of this job successfully.
• In performing the duties of this job, the employee is routinely required to sit or stand for long durations of time, in addition to bending, reaching, and walking.
• This would require the ability to lift or move objects up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift or move objects up to 25 pounds.
• This position is generally sedentary, with substantial computer usage.

Work Environment

The job operates in a professional office environment but in a manufacturing company. This job routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, and scanners.