Manufacturing Engineer, Solid Rocket Motors at Castelion in Midland, TX

Job description

Why Castelion, Why Now Castelion is moving incredibly fast to develop and deliver advanced defense systems at a time when execution matters more than ever. We believe focus, ownership, and excellence are decisive advantages - and we're building a world-class team to turn bold ideas into real capability. This is a rare opportunity to join at an early stage, where you'll have significant ownership, collaborate with exceptional teammates, and make a direct, measurable impact on our mission and the future of the company - regardless of your function. About Castelion Castelion is building affordable, rapidly producible hypersonic strike weapons for the U.S. military. We move quickly from design to flight test to production, and we are standing up R&D manufacturing at our facility in Midland, Texas. Position Overview We are seeking a Lead Manufacturing Engineer to own manufacturing processes and the team responsible for solid rocket motors at our Midland, Texas facility. This role focuses on developing, optimizing, qualifying, and executing energetic operations. You will drive process improvements, lead prototype and research builds and ensure products are high quality and manufactured safely and efficiently. You will work closely with Design, Automation & Controls, Quality, Test, and fellow Manufacturing Engineers to ensure your products integrate with the larger system, and you will contribute to new product introduction, continuous improvement, and facility ramp-up at our Midland facility. What You’ll Accomplish in Your First 12 Months Establish safe, repeatable manufacturing processes for solid rocket motors, with process specifications, work instructions, and explosives SOPs in place. Qualify the tooling, equipment, and processes needed for R&D and low-rate initial production to inform production-scale manufacturing. Execute R&D efforts to support the Blackbeard program. Key Responsibilities Own development and optimization of solid rocket motor manufacturing processes, including propellant mix and cast, motor integration, and igniter assembly. Drive Design for Manufacturability (DFM), Design for Assembly (DFA), PFMEA, control plans, and statistical process control (SPC) to improve yield, reduce cycle time, and lower cost. Author explosives operating procedures (SOPs) and support process hazard analyses, hazard classification, and explosives site planning for new and modified operations. Implement electrostatic discharge (ESD) controls and safe handling practices for initiators, bridgewire devices, and other electrically sensitive components. Support equipment qualification and process validation at the Midland, TX facility Interface with suppliers on materials, tooling, and equipment to resolve issues and improve incoming quality. Required Qualifications Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Materials Science, or related field. Experience: 2+ years of manufacturing or mechanical engineering experience. Experience with energetic materials or solid rocket motors is a plus. Demonstrated success developing and scaling manufacturing processes from prototype to low-rate or rate production. Experience in fast-paced environments such as aerospace startups. Technical Skills: Hands-on experience building, inspecting, and accepting assemblies Proficiency in CAD (SolidWorks or NX), GD&T, tooling/fixture design, process documentation, and nonconformance disposition. Working knowledge of explosives safety requirements, hazard analysis, and hazardous process manufacturing is a plus. Eligibility: This position requires access to information and technology controlled under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). Applicants must be U.S. persons as defined under ITAR. Applicants must hold, or be able to obtain and maintain, a U.S. government security clearance. Preferred Experience Experience with energetic material or solid rocket