08 - Lead Process Engineer, Conformal Coating

Summary

The Conformal Coating Engineer for our Solar/Alternative Energy division is responsible for developing, optimizing, and maintaining coating processes for PCBAs deployed in harsh outdoor environments. Because solar electronics (such as inverters, optimizers, and tracking controllers) face extreme thermal cycling, high UV exposure, and moisture over a 15-25 year lifespan, this role focuses heavily on long-term reliability, high-voltage electrical isolation, and environmental ruggedization.

Detailed Description

Key Responsibilities

• Process Engineering for Harsh Environments: Develop, validate, and document coating processes using materials optimized for outdoor resilience (e.g., UV-stabilized silicones, heavy-duty urethanes) to protect against moisture ingress, salt spray, and dust.
• High-Voltage & Creepage Compliance: Ensure coating application meets stringent dielectric breakdown strength requirements, mitigating risks of arcing and surface tracking on high-power solar PCBAs.
• Reliability & Environmental Testing: Support qualification testing mimicking field conditions, including accelerated aging, thermal shock (e.g., -40°C to 85°C+), damp heat ($85^\circ\text{C}$ / 85% RH), and UV degradation studies.
• Defect Elimination: Lead troubleshooting for critical outdoor failure modes like delamination, filiform corrosion, or cracking due to thermal expansion mismatch.
• Automated Equipment Programming: Program and optimize selective coating systems to ensure precise keep-out zones around high-power terminals, connectors, and thermal management components.
• Regulatory Compliance: Ensure all coating materials and processes comply with safety standards specific to renewable energy electronics, including UL 746E and relevant IEC standards.

Knowledge/Skills/Competencies

Technical Proficiency:

• Deep understanding of IPC-CC-830 and IPC-A-610 Class 3 (High Reliability) standards.
• Expertise in automated selective coating equipment (e.g., Nordson ASYMTEK, PVA) and curing systems (UV, thermal moisture-cure).
• Familiarity with the chemical and mechanical properties of coatings under continuous UV and thermal stress.
• Soft Skills: Data-driven problem solver (DOE, FMEA) with the ability to collaborate closely with Hardware Design and Quality teams.

Preferred Skills

• Knowledge of potting/encapsulation compounds (often used alongside coatings in solar inverters).
• Experience with UL/IEC certification processes for outdoor electronic enclosures.
• Six Sigma Green or Black Belt

Physical Demands

• Duties of this position are performed in a normal office environment.
• Duties may require extended periods of sitting and sustained visual concentration on a computer monitor or on numbers and other detailed data. 
• Repetitive manual movements (e.g., data entry, using a computer mouse, using a calculator, etc.) are frequently required.
• Occasional travel may be required.

Typical Experience

• Experience: 3-5+ years of experience in PCBA conformal coating, with a strong preference for high-power electronics, automotive, or outdoor industrial applications.

Typical Education

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related field.
• Educational Requirements may vary by Geography

Notes

This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities of the position. Employees are held accountable for all duties of the job. Job duties and the % of time identified for any function are subject to change at any time.