Process Engineer

About NextHop AI

NextHop AI is building the next generation of high-performance networking and compute infrastructure for the AI era. Our systems sit in the hottest part of the modern data center: high-radix, high-bandwidth Ethernet switches and AI servers that move multi-terabit-per-second traffic between GPUs, XPUs, and storage. Getting these products from a working prototype to flawless volume production is, in many ways, harder than designing them. That is the problem this role exists to solve.

About the role

We are looking for a senior Process Engineer to own the manufacturing process for our high-speed network switches and AI servers — from first EVT build through DVT, PVT, and high-volume production at our contract manufacturers. You will be embedded in Bac Ninh, working shoulder-to-shoulder with our CM and ODM partners on the line, and partnering daily with electrical, mechanical, signal integrity, thermal, test, and quality engineers back at HQ.

The systems you will build push the boundaries of SMT, mechanical assembly, and quality control: 51.2T-class (and beyond) switch ASICs with thousands of solder balls, FCBGA and OAM-style packages, dense optical and DAC/AEC cabling, liquid-cooled cold plates, and chassis that have to survive shock, vibration, thermal, and ESD specs at hyperscaler quality bars.

We need someone with deep, hands-on expertise in SMT, mechanical assembly, and quality — and, just as importantly, the curiosity and judgment to ask the right questions in adjacent areas where they may not be the expert: silicon packaging, signal integrity, thermal, optics, firmware/test. Strong opinions, calmly held, are welcome. So is the willingness to stand on the line at 2 a.m. when a reflow profile is fighting us.

What you'll own

SMT process & PCBA

• End-to-end SMT process development for large, complex PCBAs: stencil design, solder paste selection and rheology, paste deposition (SPI), placement, reflow profile development, AOI and X-ray inspection, and rework.
• Reflow optimization for very large BGAs (2,000–7,000+ ball ASICs), FCBGA, LGA, and OAM-style packages — managing warpage, head-in-pillow, NWO, voiding, and solder joint reliability.
• Mixed-technology assembly: press-fit connectors, fine-pitch QFN, 0201/01005 passives, RF shielding, and high-pin-count optical cages (QSFP-DD, OSFP, OSFP-XD, 800G / 1.6T-class).
• Drive DFM/DFA reviews with the design team before tape-out of the board, not after first build.

Mechanical assembly

• Process ownership for box build and chassis-level assembly: heatsink and cold-plate installation, torque specs, fastener strategy, gasketing, EMI/RFI shielding, cable routing, and serviceability.
• Liquid-cooling integration: cold plates, manifolds, quick-disconnects, leak test, and dry-break procedures.
• Fixture and tooling design (or strong oversight of it) for assembly, test, and rework — with clear acceptance criteria and capacity models.
• GD&T literacy strong enough to read mechanical drawings, push back on stack-ups, and resolve fit/finish issues on the line.

Quality

• Own PFMEA, control plans, and work instructions for every product family, and keep them honest as the process evolves.
• Drive first article inspection (FAI), PPAP-style qualification, and pilot-to-MP transitions.
• Run disciplined 8D / root-cause investigations on line escapes, NPI fallout, and RMA returns; close the loop back into design and process.
• Stand up and tune SPC, yield, and DPMO dashboards. Make yield walks a habit, not a fire drill.
• Hold the line on workmanship standards — IPC-A-610 Class 3, J-STD-001, IPC/WHMA-A-620 — with our CM's operators, line leaders, and quality team.

NPI & cross-functional leadership

• Be the single point of accountability for manufacturing readiness through EVT → DVT → PVT → MP. Know exactly what risks are open, what is being done about them, and when they will close.
• Partner with EE, SI/PI, mechanical, thermal, test, reliability, and supply chain. Translate between the design team's intent and what the line can actually build at yield.
• Manage CM/ODM relationships day-to-day in Bac Ninh: run build reviews, drive yield improvement plans, audit process discipline, and escalate cleanly when needed.

What we're looking for

• 15+ years of process engineering experience shipping complex, high-speed electronic products at volume — network switches, servers, storage, telecom, or comparably demanding consumer/industrial systems.
• Deep SMT expertise. You have personally developed reflow profiles for very large BGAs, debugged warpage with thermal imaging, tuned stencil aperture and paste, and made yield calls on borderline X-ray images. You can argue with a reflow oven vendor and win.
• Mechanical assembly depth. Strong intuition for tolerances, torque, fastener strategy, and what fails in the field after 18 months in a humid data center. Comfortable in CAD reviews even if you do not draw the parts yourself.
• Quality discipline. Fluent in PFMEA, 8D, SPC, FAI/PPAP, ISO 9001, IPC-A-610 Class 3, and J-STD-001. You treat work instructions as living documents, not checkbox artifacts.
• Hands-on CM experience. You have run NPI and sustaining at top-tier CMs/ODMs (Foxconn, Quanta, Wistron, Inventec, Celestica, Flex, Jabil, USI, or equivalent). You know how the SMT line, MI, and quality teams really work — and how to influence them.
• Asks the right questions. When the failure mode is in silicon packaging, optics, signal integrity, firmware, or thermal — areas where you may not be the deepest expert — you can still ask the questions that surface the real root cause, and you know when to pull in the right specialist.
• Excellent communicator. Comfortable writing a clear 8D in English, presenting yield data to senior leadership, and running a build review on the line in Vietnamese-English-Mandarin code-switching with calm authority.
• Bachelor's or Master's in Mechanical, Electrical, Industrial, Manufacturing, or Materials Engineering (or equivalent practical experience).

Bonus points

• Experience bringing up 51.2T or 102.4T-class Ethernet switches, or large AI server / accelerator platforms (HGX/MGX-class, OAM/UBB).
• Hands-on liquid-cooling manufacturing experience (cold plates, manifolds, in-rack CDUs).
• Optical module qualification and integration at 400G / 800G / 1.6T (QSFP-DD, OSFP, OSFP-XD, LPO/LRO, CPO awareness).
• Six Sigma Black Belt, Lean Manufacturing, or equivalent formal training — used in anger, not just on a resume.
• Familiarity with hyperscaler/OCP quality expectations and audit processes.
• Working proficiency in Vietnamese and/or Mandarin in addition to English.

What success looks like in your first year

• Within 90 days: you know our products, our CMs, our top process risks, and the people who matter on each line. You have walked every station.
• By month 6: at least one product family has hit its yield, cycle time, and quality targets at PVT under your process plan.
• By month 12: our PFMEAs, control plans, and SPC are something the team actually uses every day; line escapes are trending down quarter over quarter; design teams are pulling you in before layout, not after first build.

Working at NextHop AI

• On-site in Bac Ninh, Vietnam, embedded with our manufacturing operations and CM partners.
• Occasional travel to HQ and to partner sites in the region.
• Competitive compensation, meaningful equity, and the chance to shape how a generation of AI infrastructure actually gets built.