Senior Manufacturing Engineer – Sheet Metal Forming & Welding

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. Senior Manufacturing Engineer – Sheet Metal Forming & Welding Solid Rocket Motors & Flight Hardware – Aerospace & Defense Position Overview We are seeking a Senior Manufacturing Engineer to own sheet metal forming and welding processes for Castelion’s solid rocket motor and hypersonic vehicle hardware. This role is responsible for developing, qualifying, and scaling fabrication of formed and welded metallic structures. You will define forming methods, weld processes, fixtures, inspection, and production flow while partnering with Design, Quality, Tooling & Automation, and Operations. The objective is repeatable, flight-quality metallic hardware from development builds through high-rate production. Key Responsibilities • Own manufacturing processes for sheet metal forming and welding, including cutting, bending, rolling, hydroforming or equivalent forming methods, fit-up, welding, post-weld processing, and final inspection. • Develop and qualify weld procedures, forming processes, fixtures, and work instructions that meet dimensional, structural, and quality requirements. • Execute DFM/DFA, PFMEA, control plans, and statistical process control (SPC) to improve first-pass yield, cycle time, and cost. • Define inspection and NDE strategies for formed and welded hardware (dimensional inspection, visual weld inspection, and approved NDE methods). • Partner with Tooling, Automation & Controls on forming dies, weld fixtures, positioners, and semi-automated or robotic welding cells. • Support new product introduction and design changes with producibility input on material selection, bend radii, weld joint design, tolerances, and assembly sequence. • Lead root-cause analysis and corrective actions for forming defects, weld defects, distortion, fit-up issues, and dimensional escapes. • Author and maintain travelers, WPS/PQR support documentation as applicable, and quality records compliant with AS9100 and customer requirements. • Collaborate with suppliers on sheet stock, formed details, and welded subassemblies; drive incoming quality and process capability. • Support equipment qualification and production ramp in Torrance, CA and the Project Ranger campus in New Mexico. Required Qualifications Education: Bachelor’s degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Welding Engineering, Materials Science, or related field. Experience: • 6–10+ years of manufacturing engineering experience in aerospace, defense, or high-reliability metallic fabrication. • 3+ years of hands-on ownership of sheet metal forming and welding processes on flight or mission-critical hardware. • Demonstrated success qualifying fabrication processes and transitioning them from development to production. Technical Skills • Strong practical knowledge of sheet metal forming (brake, roll, stretch, hydroform, or equivalent) and fusion welding processes used in aerospace production. • Proficiency in CAD (SolidWorks or NX), GD&T, tolerance stack-up, and fixture concepting. • Working knowledge of weld procedure development, distortion control, fit-up, and post-weld heat treatment or finishing as applicable. • Experience with PFMEA, SPC, root-cause methods (8D, fishbone), and process qualification. • Familiarity with metrology and NDE of formed and welded structures. • Ability to write clear work instructions and support shop-floor execution. Preferred Experience • Direct manufacturing experience on missile, rocket-motor, or aerospace structural metallic hardware. • Background in fast-paced defense or space production environments. • Experience with robotic or automated welding and forming cells. • Prior work on stainless, high-strength steels, nickel alloys, aluminum, or other aerospace alloys used in propulsion or vehicle structures. • Familiarity with AS9100, ITAR programs, and manufacturing in energetic-materials facilities. • Track record reducing scrap, rework, distortion, or cycle time on welded or formed flight hardware. Soft Skills • Hands-on, detail-oriented, and effective at enforcing process discipline on the shop floor. • Strong collaboration with Design, Quality, Tooling, and Operations teams. • Clear technical communication and documentation skills. • Data-driven problem solver under schedule pressure. • Safety-first mindset when working in facilities that handle energetic materials. Castelion offers a generous benefits package. Please refer to the bottom of our Careers page for more details. Other Duties Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice. Additional Eligibility Requirements This position may require access to classified information or restricted U.S. Government sites, systems, or information, as determined by the Company and/or applicable U.S. Government requirements. If the position is so designated, your employment in the role may be contingent upon your ability to obtain and maintain the required U.S. Government security clearance or other government authorization, and to satisfy any citizenship or other eligibility requirements imposed by applicable law, regulation, executive order, or government contract requirements. You will be notified if and when such requirements apply. Affirmative Action/EEO Statement Castelion is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. Castelion is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities throughout the application and hiring process. If you require a reasonable accommodation to complete an application, participate in the interview process, or otherwise participate in the hiring process, please contact hr@castelion.com. Requests for accommodation will be considered on an individual basis and handled in accordance with applicable law. Castelion is committed to fostering a workplace where employment decisions are based on qualifications, business needs, and the ability to perform the essential functions of the role, with or without reasonable accommodation. EAR/ITAR Requirements This position requires access to export-controlled information, and as such, employment (or hiring of a contractor) is contingent upon the candidate’s ability to access all applicable export-controlled information without additional export licensing being required by the Bureau of Industry and Security and/or the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls.