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Remote Dfm Engineer Jobs in Minnesota (NOW HIRING)

Remote Dfm Engineer information

What is a remote DFM engineer?

Remote DFM (Design for Manufacturability) Engineers are professionals who work off-site to ensure that product designs can be efficiently and cost-effectively manufactured. They collaborate with design, engineering, and manufacturing teams—often using digital tools—to identify and resolve potential production issues early in the design process. Their goal is to optimize designs for manufacturability, reduce production costs, and improve product quality, all while working remotely. This role is common in industries like electronics, automotive, and consumer products where global teams need to collaborate seamlessly.

What are some common challenges remote DFM engineers face when collaborating with cross-functional teams?

Remote DFM (Design for Manufacturability) Engineers often work with geographically dispersed design, manufacturing, and quality teams. Effective communication can be challenging when clarifying design intents and manufacturing constraints across time zones and digital platforms. To overcome these obstacles, remote DFM Engineers typically leverage collaborative tools, detailed documentation, and frequent virtual meetings to ensure alignment. Building strong relationships and proactively addressing misunderstandings are key to successful collaboration and project outcomes.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a remote DFM engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Remote DFM (Design for Manufacturability) Engineer, you need a solid background in mechanical or electrical engineering, experience with DFM principles, and a relevant engineering degree. Familiarity with CAD tools (such as AutoCAD or SolidWorks), PLM systems, and manufacturing process simulation software is typically required. Strong problem-solving abilities, attention to detail, and effective remote communication skills distinguish top performers in this role. These skills and qualities are crucial for ensuring product designs are optimized for cost-effective and efficient manufacturing while collaborating across distributed teams.

What is the difference between Remote Dfm Engineer vs Remote Mechanical Engineer?

AspectRemote Dfm EngineerRemote Mechanical Engineer
Required CredentialsBachelor's in Mechanical or Industrial Engineering, DFM experienceBachelor's in Mechanical Engineering, design and analysis skills
Work EnvironmentDesign-focused, collaboration with manufacturing teamsDesign and analysis, often CAD-based work
Industry UsageManufacturing, product developmentProduct design, engineering consulting
Common Search IntentDFM design, manufacturing collaborationMechanical design, product development

Remote Dfm Engineers primarily focus on designing products for manufacturability, working closely with manufacturing teams. Remote Mechanical Engineers handle broader mechanical design and analysis tasks. While both roles require engineering credentials and CAD skills, DFM Engineers emphasize manufacturing considerations, making their roles distinct yet overlapping in product development.

What job categories do people searching Remote Dfm Engineer jobs in Minnesota look for?

The top searched job categories for Remote Dfm Engineer jobs in Minnesota are:

Infographic showing various Remote Dfm Engineer job openings in Minnesota as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 100% Remote job distribution.

Senior Staff Design Automation Engineer

skywater

Minneapolis, MN • On-site, Remote

$108K - $142K/yr

Full-time

This job post has expired 1 day ago. Applications are no longer accepted.


Job description

This SkyWater Senior Staff Design Automation Engineer will primarily lead custom layout and Electronic Design Automation (EDA) activities to provide testchip collateral for semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) technologies. This engineer will be a significant contributor to a broad array of design projects supporting modeling, reliability, and yield as part of Process Design Kit (PDK) development for advanced CMOS or quantum technologies.

The position is based at our HQ site in Bloomington, MN, with consideration available for remote work.

Major Areas of Accountability:

  • Automated or systematic creation or conversion of test structures for eTest, modeling, reliability, yield, and IP test chips as part of new technology development
  • Version control and management of large design libraries with multiple contributors
  • Introduction of both custom and automated designs for layout projects supporting highly diverse technology flows
  • Utilize SkyWater PDK’s and provide feedback to internal teams on issues, improvements, capabilities, etc.
  • Lead physical verification and tape-in reviews

Required Qualifications:

  • 5+ years of experience with AS in Electronic Design fields. 3+ years of experience with BS in Electrical Engineering, Microelectronics or related fields.
  • Proven experience in full-custom layout design, especially for discrete device process-control monitors using EDA tool-assisted design flow such as Cadence and Siemens EDA tool suites, (e.g. Calibre and Virtuoso)
  • Capable to independently execute design automation using tools such as SKILL, Tcl, python or other scripting language
  • Experience in developing and/or using physical verification tools (DRC, ERC, LVS/PEX) and DFM tooling. 
  • Experience in large design library change controls.
  • Familiarity with typical mixed-signal IC design and tape-in flow.
  • Clear communicator, concise written report skills, and inventive problem solver
  • U.S. Person Required: This position requires compliance with the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). All accepted applicants must be U.S. Persons. ITAR defines a U.S. Person as U.S. citizen, U.S. Permanent Resident, Political Asylee, or Refugee. 

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Background in PDK development in some or all of the following fields: CMOS, MEMS, photonics, or superconducting.
  • Familiarity with parasitic extraction tools such as Mentor Calibre xRC, Cadence Quantus, or Synopsys StarRC.
  • Experience with data preparation for photo mask design
  • Background in full-custom IC design utilizing hierarchical design priciples and automation including place-and-route
  • Formal training in both (1) electrical engineering or electronic device design, (2) computer science