Senior Manufacturing Engineer, Equipment

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. Job Description: Senior Manufacturing Engineer, Equipment Solid Rocket Motor Processing Equipment – Aerospace & Defense 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 high-rate manufacturing at our facility in Midland, Texas and our Project Ranger campus in New Mexico. Position Overview We are seeking a Senior Manufacturing Engineer to own manufacturing equipment processing solid rocket motors from LRIP through production supporting Castelion’s hypersonic strike weapons, including the Blackbeard program. This role focuses on developing, installing, qualifying equipment for solid rocket motor spraying, lining, mixing, and casting processes. You will drive Equipment improvements, lead the transition from prototype and research builds to scalable high-rate production, and ensure equipment is high quality with minimal down time. You will work closely with process engineers, 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 manufacturing sites. What You’ll Accomplish in Your First 12 Months • Complete installation, commissioning, and qualification of the core solid rocket motor processing equipment, including propellant mixing, vacuum casting, and liner/insulation spray systems, with FAT/SAT records and turnover packages closed out. • Establish equipment specifications, calibration and preventive maintenance programs, spare-parts strategy, and operator training so that each production asset reaches a target of 90%+ availability. • Convert prototype and research-build equipment into rate-capable production systems by completing a gap assessment of current mixers, casting stations, and spray cells, then delivering and executing an upgrade plan covering throughput, repeatability, and remote-operation and safety interlocks. • Deliver, and begin executing, an equipment capacity and scale-up plan that takes the factory from LRIP to full-rate production, including the number of mixers, casting bays, spray cells, and cure capacity needed at each rate step and the supplier lead times to support it. • Stand up a closed-loop equipment data pipeline (process parameters, sensor data, and maintenance history) with SPC on critical machine parameters such as mix temperature and vacuum level, spray thickness and flow, and cast rate. Key Responsibilities • Own the design, procurement, installation, commissioning, and sustainment of solid rocket motor processing equipment, including planetary mixers, vacuum casting systems, mandrel and case handling fixtures, liner and insulation spray systems, and cure ovens. • Develop equipment requirements with process engineers, translating process parameters such as mix speed, temperature, vacuum level, spray flow, thickness, and cast rate into equipment specifications, tolerances, and acceptance criteria. • Lead equipment qualification and process validation, writing and executing protocols, factory and site acceptance tests, and capability for mixing, spraying, lining, and casting operations. • Design and specify tooling and fixtures using CAD (SolidWorks or NX) and GD&T, including casting mandrels, spray fixtures, case handling and rotation equipment, and transport carts, and manage fabrication with machine shops and vendors. • Design equipment for hazardous environments, including grounding and bonding, ESD control, spark and friction avoidance, hazardous-location (NFPA 70 Class I/II) electrical classification, deflagration protection, pressure and vacuum safety, and remote operation. • Maximize uptime and throughput with a preventive and predictive maintenance program, spares and critical-parts management, changeover reduction, and cycle-time and yield improvements. • Partner with Automation & Controls on PLC and HMI programming, safety-rated interlocks, robotic spray and material handling, vision systems, and data acquisition, and integrate equipment data into MES and analytics tools for traceability and SPC. • Support process hazard analyses, equipment safety reviews, and explosives site planning, and author operating procedures, maintenance procedures, and lockout/tagout practices for equipment in energetic areas. • Ensure compliance with explosives safety and regulatory requirements, including DoDM 4145.26, DESR 6055.09, DOT hazardous materials regulations (49 CFR), and ITAR. • Manage equipment suppliers and integrators, including RFQs, design reviews, schedule and cost tracking, incoming inspection, and warranty and field-service support, to ensure equipment is delivered on time and to specification. • Support new product introduction and design changes by assessing equipment impacts, planning modifications, and coordinating capital projects and facility build-out at the Midland, TX facility and the Project Ranger campus in New Mexico. • Mentor junior manufacturing engineers and technicians, and author and maintain equipment documentation, work instructions, training materials, and nonconformance dispositions. Required Qualifications Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical/Controls Engineering, or related field. Experience: • 7+ years of manufacturing or equipment engineering experience • Preference of 3+ years of hands-on work with solid rocket motor or energetic material processing equipment such as propellant mixers, vacuum casting systems, liner or insulation spray systems, or cure and curing equipment, in aerospace or defense, however this is not a requirement. • Demonstrated success installing, qualifying, and sustaining production equipment, and scaling it from prototype or pilot operation to low-rate or full-rate production. Technical Skills: • Experience specifying, commissioning, and qualification for automated or semi-automated process equipment with PLC-based controls, instrumentation, and safety interlocks. • Proficiency in CAD (SolidWorks or NX), GD&T, and tooling and fixture design, plus a working understanding of pneumatics, hydraulics, vacuum systems, fluid metering and dispensing, and motion control. • Working knowledge of safety requirements, hazard analysis, and hazardous-location equipment design, including grounding, bonding, ESD control, and remote operations. • Strong skills in reliability and continuous improvement methods. 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. What We’re Looking For • A safety-first mindset with rigorous attention to detail in high-consequence energetic environments. • A hands-on, data-driven problem solver who is as comfortable on the production floor troubleshooting a machine as at the desk designing its replacement. • A clear communicator who collaborates across engineering, production, maintenance, and quality, manages suppliers, and handles multiple priorities in a fast-paced setting. Castelion offers a generous benefits package. Please refer