Senior PCB Design Review Consultant — Independent Contractor

The opportunity

As a Trace reviewer, you evaluate PCB designs created in tools such as Siemens Xpedition, Altium Designer, KiCad, Cadence Allegro/OrCAD, and comparable platforms. You provide clear, practical feedback that helps customers improve design quality before fabrication or assembly. There are no fixed working hours. You accept or decline review requests based on availability, expertise, and potential conflicts of interest.

What you will do

• Review schematics, PCB layouts, manufacturing outputs, and supporting documentation
• Identify electrical, layout, manufacturability, assembly, reliability, and performance risks
• Review placement, routing, stackups, power distribution, grounding, return paths, and decoupling
• Assess high-speed interfaces, signal integrity, power integrity, EMI/EMC, thermal behavior, and mechanical constraints when relevant
• Check creepage, clearance, isolation, and other safety-related considerations within your expertise
• Evaluate designs for DFM, DFA, testability, serviceability, and expected production yield
• Categorize findings by severity, explain likely impact, and recommend practical corrective actions
• Deliver a written review report and, when appropriate, annotated design files or screenshots
• Participate in a customer debrief or follow-up discussion when included in the engagement
• Protect confidential customer information and comply with Trace’s security and file-retention requirements

What we are looking for

• Typically 10 or more years of professional PCB design, hardware engineering, or electronics development
• A demonstrated history of taking boards from schematic and layout through fabrication, assembly, bring-up, validation, and production
• Deep expertise in at least one professional PCB design platform (Altium Designer, KiCad, Cadence Allegro/OrCAD, Siemens PADS, Siemens Xpedition, or Zuken CR-8000)
• Strong knowledge of layout practices, manufacturing constraints, assembly processes, and common failure modes
• The ability to explain technical findings clearly, constructively, and without unnecessary jargon
• Professional written English and the ability to communicate remotely with customers and the Trace team
• Access to the properly licensed software and computing environment required for the reviews you accept
• The ability to operate as an independent contractor or consultancy and issue invoices and tax documentation in your jurisdiction

Especially valuable experience

• High-speed digital systems
• RF and wireless products
• Analog and mixed-signal design
• Power electronics and power supplies
• Automotive electronics
• Aerospace or defense systems
• Medical devices
• Industrial and safety-critical systems
• Robotics, IoT, or consumer electronics
• Dense multilayer, HDI, rigid-flex, or flex designs
• FPGA, DDR, PCIe, USB, Ethernet, SerDes, or other high-speed interfaces
• EMI/EMC remediation and regulatory preparation
• Design for manufacturing, assembly, and automated testing
• Root-cause analysis of board failures and production issues

How engagements work

• Trace identifies a review opportunity that appears to match your expertise
• You receive a summary of the technical scope, expected deliverables, schedule, and proposed fixed fee
• You may accept or decline the engagement
• After accepting and completing any required confidentiality or conflict checks, you receive access to the customer’s design package
• You complete the review and submit the agreed deliverables by the established deadline
• Trace coordinates customer delivery, follow-up, and payment according to the consulting agreement
• Fees are a fixed project amount agreed before acceptance — not an hourly rate — and may vary with complexity, depth, turnaround, tools, and specialized expertise
• Participation in the reviewer network does not guarantee a minimum volume of work

Independent contractor relationship

This is an independent-contractor opportunity and not an offer of employment. Consultants control whether they accept an engagement and remain responsible for their own taxes, insurance, registrations, equipment, software licenses, and other business obligations. Eligibility may depend on applicable laws, customer requirements, data-residency restrictions, sanctions, export controls, or the sensitivity of a particular design.

Confidentiality and professional conduct

• Sign Trace’s consulting and confidentiality agreements
• Disclose actual or potential conflicts of interest
• Use secure systems for accessing and storing design files
• Limit access to authorized personnel and do not reuse or disclose customer intellectual property
• Return or securely delete customer materials as required
• Provide independent, objective, and respectful technical feedback
• Design bureaus must identify the individuals who will access customer materials and may not subcontract a review without prior written approval