About this role
About the Role Koch IP Holdings, LLC is seeking a motivated and self-driven Product Development Engineer (PDE) to develop and design products for clients in the medical and automotive industries. The PDE will own the entire NPI lifecycle—from RFQ through mass production launch—ensuring technical excellence and compliance with industry standards. This role will coordinate with cross-functional teams to execute planned development activities including Product Development Plans, Preliminary and Final Design Completions, Production Process Development, and Product and Process Qualification during the NPI stage. What You'll Do
- Costing/Technical Lead for RFQs: perform cost estimation and analysis from customer-provided Gerber files or BOM; break down raw materials, processing steps, and surface treatments to determine total cost.
- Manufacturing Cost Optimization: evaluate board stack-up, tolerances, and design penalties, and propose cost-reduction design changes.
- Pricing Strategy Development: establish standard pricing models for batch sizes, lead times, and customer requirements, coordinating with sales and supply chain.
- Advanced DFM/DFA: conduct rigorous design for manufacturing reviews to improve yields for fine-line/fine-space designs and rigid-flex bonding processes.
- Signal & Power Integrity: simulate and validate impedance control for high-speed FPC structures.
- Lifecycle Management: own development through DFMEA, PPAP, and mass-production launch.
- Root Cause Analysis: lead technical troubleshooting for complex failures (e.g., delamination, micro-via cracking, signal loss) using 8D/Fishbone or similar methodologies. What We're Looking For
- Education: B.S. or M.S. in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, or related technical field.
- FPC Expertise: minimum 5 years in PCB/FPC R&D, with at least 3 years in Multi-layer FPC and Rigid-Flex.
- Software Proficiency: expert command of AutoCAD, ProE/NX and professional EDA/Layout tools (Altium Designer, Cadence Allegro, Layout Viewer).
- Industry Knowledge: deep understanding of the full FPC manufacturing process (Lamination, Drilling, Plating, Surface Finishes) and IPC standards (IPC-6013/610, IPC-2223).
- What Will Put You Ahead: Complex Architecture Design (lead development of multi-layer FPC 4-10+ layers and rigid-flex with stack-up/panel optimization); High-End Process Knowledge (fine-line, HDI, roll-to-roll, medical-grade adhesives and advanced materials); Bending Analysis Mastery (mechanical stress analysis for dynamic bend or ultra-flex applications). Nice to Have
- Experience leading cross-functional NPI projects and defining process flows for high-mix manufacturing.
- Familiarity with medical device-grade materials and regulatory considerations. Compensation & Benefits
- Not disclosed in the posting.