ECAD Designer (PADS & Altium Designer)

Job Title: ECAD Designer - PADS & Altium Designer
Job ID: 90272
Location: Dallas, Texas - Onsite /Hybrid


Overview:
Our client is seeking an experienced ECAD Designer / PCB Designer to support new electronic product development and existing product designs. This is a hands-on design role responsible for schematic capture, PCB layout, ECAD library management, and manufacturing documentation. The successful candidate will work closely with electrical, mechanical, manufacturing, and test engineering teams throughout the design, prototype, validation, and production-release process. The design environment includes OrCAD Capture, PADS, and Altium Designer. The role will support legacy products while also contributing to the migration of current and future designs toward Altium.


What you will be doing:

• Create and maintain electronic schematics using OrCAD Capture and Altium Designer.
• Design complex multilayer PCBs for analog, digital, mixed-signal, embedded, and power-electronics applications.
• Support PCB designs ranging approximately from 4 to 20 layers.
• Convert and migrate legacy PADS and OrCAD designs into Altium Designer when required.
• Collaborate with electrical engineers during component selection, schematic development, and PCB layout.
• Develop PCB layouts and stackups considering:
  • Signal integrity
  • Power integrity
  • EMC/EMI
  • Thermal performance
  • Manufacturability
  • Reliability
• Create and maintain ECAD component libraries, including schematic symbols, PCB footprints, 3D models, and component parameters.
• Perform Electrical Rule Checks (ERC) and Design Rule Checks (DRC).
• Generate complete manufacturing documentation, including:
  • Gerber and/or ODB++ files
  • Fabrication drawings
  • Assembly drawings
  • Drill files
  • Pick-and-place files
  • Bills of Materials
  • Assembly outputs
• Participate in cross-functional engineering design reviews.
• Work with mechanical engineering teams to ensure enclosure compatibility, connector alignment, and mechanical clearances.
• Support prototype assembly, engineering validation, debugging, and production release.
• Work with PCB fabrication and assembly vendors to resolve manufacturing issues.
• Support Engineering Change Orders / Engineering Change Notices (ECO/ECN) and continuous product-improvement activities.

• 5+ years of hands-on ECAD / PCB design experience.
• Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Electronics Technology, or equivalent relevant experience.
• Experience with:
  • Altium Designer
  • PADS Professional / PADS Layout
  • OrCAD Capture
• Hands-on experience with both schematic capture and PCB layout.
• Experience designing multilayer PCBs, including exposure to some combination of:
  • Mixed-signal circuitry
  • Precision analog circuits
  • Digital embedded systems
  • High-current electronics
  • Power electronics
• Strong understanding of:
  • PCB fabrication processes
  • PCB assembly processes
  • IPC standards
  • Design for Manufacturability (DFM)
  • Design for Assembly (DFA)
  • Design for Test (DFT)
• Ability to create complete PCB manufacturing and production-release packages.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to collaborate with electrical, mechanical, manufacturing, and test engineering teams.