Flex Technician Job Description, Key Duties and Responsibilities

This post provides detailed information on the flex technician job description, including the key duties, tasks, and responsibilities they commonly perform.

It also highlights the major requirements that you may be expected to meet to be hired for the flex technician role by most employers/recruiters.

What Does A Flex Technician Do?

A flex technician specializes in manufacturing and testing flexible printed circuits and electronics. They typically report to engineering managers or manufacturing supervisors.

Flex circuit production happens globally, but especially centers around electronics innovation regions in the United States, Asia, and Europe that design cutting-edge devices.

Most employers require an Associate’s degree in electronics engineering technology along with soldering and quality certifications.

The core duties that make up the flex technician job description include operating specialized equipment to fabricate test prototypes and production runs of flex circuits, assembling components, inspecting final products, troubleshooting issues, documenting processes, and continuously improving manufacturing methods.  

Flex technicians may also contribute to logistics, servicing machines, or cross-training new technicians.

Their niche expertise in handling delicate circuits is crucial for emerging products in aerospace, automotive, consumer goods, medical technology and more.

Industry organizations like IPC provide training and certification standards worldwide that help ensure consistent competencies and best practices.

Leading electronics innovators particularly look for flex technicians with great manual dexterity, attention to detail, analytical abilities, communication skills, and passion for staying on top of a rapidly evolving field.

Flex Technician Job Description Example/Sample/Template

The flex technician job description usually consists of the following duties, tasks, and responsibilities:

• Review engineering drawings, schematics, and specifications for flex circuits to understand design requirements
• Prepare production tools and equipment including laminators, printers, laser cutters, testing systems per manufacturing instructions
• Lay out flex circuit patterns by plotting artwork films manually or using specialist CAM software
• Load materials such as polymer films into processing equipment and operate machines to produce prototyping batches
• Assemble flex circuits by precision soldering components like chips, connectors, and capacitors onto fabricated circuits
• Perform visual and microscopic inspection of circuits to ensure conformance to quality standards
• Connect completed flex circuit assemblies to test equipment and diagnose issues with fit, form or function
• Document all raw material lot numbers, inspection and testing parameters, and process deviations as per quality protocols  
• Communicate with engineers and supervisors to confirm that flex circuit batches meet all acceptance criteria
• Maintain production equipment, repair, replace warn out components and request servicing as needed
• Design and fabricate custom mechanical fixtures, brackets and mounting hardware for test setups
• Contribute ideas for improving manufacturing processes, optimization of procedures, and enhancing final product quality
• Train junior technicians and other production staff on safe, optimal methods for handling and processing flex circuits 
• Ensure that workflow and documentation adhere to the company and industry guidelines for quality and regulatory compliance
• Perform cross-functional duties in procurement, logistics, or sustaining engineering as required.

Flex Technician Job Description for Resume

If you have worked before or are currently working as a flex technician and are making a new resume or CV, then you can create a compelling Professional Experience section for your resume by applying  the sample flex technician job description provided above.

You can highlight the major duties and responsibilities you have previously carried out or currently performing as a flex technician in your resume’s Professional Experience by utilizing the ones in the above flex technician job description example.

This will show to recruiters/employers that you have been successful performing the flex technician duties, which can enhance your chances of being hired for the new job that you are seeking, especially if it requires someone with some flex technician work experience.

Flex Technician Requirements: Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities for Career Success

Flex technicians require specialized skills and knowledge to effectively manufacture intricate flexible circuits and electronics. Here are some of the important ones, which employers/recruiters usually require when hiring for the flex technician role:

• In-depth understanding of electronics, circuitry, and PCB design principles
• Proficiency in operating equipment like printers, laminators, and laser cutters used in flex circuit fabrication
• Expertise in various soldering techniques for attaching micro-components onto thin, heat-sensitive flex circuit substrates
• Knowledge of materials science – especially properties of polymeric and flexible substrate materials
• Strong spatial reasoning ability for interpreting 2D drawings and properly placing physical components
• Math skills for calculations such as ensuring etchant concentrations and machine settings are optimal
• Technical documentation ability – can maintain detailed, organized records of all process steps
• Manual dexterity and steady hands for handling tiny chips and connectors under a microscope 
• Visual inspection skills to closely evaluate quality and detect micro defects 
• Troubleshooting competence – can methodically diagnose issues and rapidly implement solutions
• Basic programming competence to run CAM design software and use machine operating interfaces
• Understanding of quality assurance protocols like IPC standards and principles of regulatory compliance.

Flex technicians also require important soft skills related to communication, collaboration, organization, attention to detail, and continuously expanding their skills as technology evolves.

Employers highly value such well-rounded technical professionals.

Flex Technician Salary

So how much money can flex technicians make? Data from 2022 Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the typical yearly salaries ranged between $41,860 to $74,700 across the country, depending on their exact role and job title.

But some states definitely pay higher. If you’re thinking of becoming a flex technician, you’ll definitely want to check out salaries in the top paying states.

We’re talking California where experienced flex techs can make anywhere from $55,890 to $102,340.

Washington and Oregon are up there too with flex earnings ranging from $53,750 to $95,120 and $53,450 to $94,780 respectively.

And flex technicians in tech hub Massachusetts pull about $51,790 to $94,370 annually.

Last but not least, Colorado wraps up the leaderboard for flex technician pay – averaging between $52,320 and $93,960 yearly.

So, if you’re down to relocate and don’t mind the west coast or northern vibes, those states could be ideal places to launch your career as a flex circuit specialist.

We’re talking some potentially sweet salary bumps that might just be worth packing your bags! Either way, with demand rising all over, experienced flex technicians can expect solid earning potential wherever they end up.

Conclusion

This post is helpful to individuals interested in the flex technician career. They will be able to learn all they need to know about the work that flex technicians do to decide if it is the right job for them.

It is also useful to recruiters/employers in making a detailed job description for the flex technician role, for use in hiring for the position.

We laid out the critical technical skills and knowledge any successful flex tech needs to master the trade.  

Now you know flex technicians earn decent salaries, with hot job markets in tech hubs like California an openings popping up just about everywhere given how many industries depend on electronics nowadays.

And with demand for flex circuits skyrocketing globally, experienced flex techs shouldn’t worry about job stability or having enough troubleshooting challenges to stay busy.