Manufacturing Engineer – Soldering & Wave (THT Assembly)

Job Title: Manufacturing Engineer – Soldering & Wave (THT Assembly)

About Variosystems 

Variosystems is a global electronics manufacturing solutions provider dedicated to delivering high-quality, customer-centric products across a wide range of industries including medical, industrial, aerospace, and communications. With locations across North America, Europe, and Asia, we partner closely with our customers to bring innovative electronics solutions to life. Our North America headquarters in Southlake, Texas serves a critical role in supporting regional customers and coordinating with global operations. 

Position Overview

The Manufacturing Engineer is responsible for developing, optimizing, and sustaining soldering processes in electronic assembly, with a focus on through-hole technology (THT), wave soldering, and manual soldering operations. This role ensures high-quality, cost-effective, and reliable production while supporting continuous improvement initiatives and compliance with industry standards.

Key Responsibilities

Process Engineering

• Develop, implement, and maintain wave soldering processes, including fluxing, preheat, and solder pot parameters
• Establish and optimize manual and selective soldering processes
• Assist creation of process documentation (work instructions, control plans, PFMEA)
• Define and control critical process parameters (temperature profiles, conveyor speed, dwell time, flux density)
• Lead process validation activities (IQ/OQ/PQ)

Quality & Reliability

• Ensure compliance with IPC-A-610, J-STD-001, and internal quality standards
• Drive root cause analysis and corrective actions (8D, PFMEA updates) for solder defects such as: 
  • Bridges
  • Voids
  • Insufficient fill
  • Cold solder joints
• Monitor yield, scrap, and rework metrics; implement improvements
• Support customer audits and internal quality audits

Equipment & Tooling

• Specify and qualify wave solder machines and related equipment
• Support preventive maintenance programs for soldering equipment
• Select and validate fixtures, pallets, carriers, and masking tools
• Work with suppliers on solder alloys (lead-free, SnPb, HMP) and flux chemistries

Continuous Improvement

• Lead process improvement initiatives (Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen)
• Reduce defects, improve first-pass yield, and lower operational costs
• Optimize thermal profiles and minimize solder consumption
• Implement automation or semi-automation where applicable

New Product Introduction (NPI)

• Define soldering strategies for new products
• Conduct trial builds and process validation

Compliance & Safety

• Ensure compliance with RoHS, REACH, and environmental regulations
• Maintain safe handling of solder materials, fluxes, and chemicals
• Enforce ESD and safety protocols in production areas
   

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Manufacturing Engineering or Electrical Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience)

Experience

• 3–7+ years in electronics manufacturing engineering
• Strong experience with: 
  • Wave soldering (critical)
  • Through-hole (THT) processes
  • Manual / selective soldering
• Experience in high-mix, low-to-medium volume manufacturing preferred

Technical Skills

• Deep knowledge of: 
  • IPC standards (IPC-A-610, J-STD-001)
  • Solder alloys: lead-free, SnPb, HMP
  • Flux types and thermal profiling
• Ability to use: 
  • Statistical tools (SPC, DOE, Minitab)
  • Failure analysis tools (microscopy, X-ray, cross-sectioning)
• Familiarity with MES/ERP systems and process documentation tools

Soft Skills

• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills
• Excellent communication across production, quality, and engineering teams
• Ability to lead cross-functional improvement efforts
• Detail-oriented with a focus on quality and compliance

Preferred Qualifications

• IPC certification (CIT or CIS)
• Lean Six Sigma (Green Belt or higher)
• Experience with selective soldering and conformal coating processes
• Familiarity with automated inspection (AOI, AXI)

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• First-pass yield (FPY) improvement
• Reduction in solder defects and rework
• Process capability (Cp/Cpk)
• Equipment uptime and process stability
• Successful NPI launches