Avionics Reliability Engineer

Pow.bio; Torrance (CA); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Long-term stock incentives

Comprehensive medical, vision, and dental insurance

Four weeks of paid time off

Job summary

A defense technology company in California is seeking an Avionics Reliability Engineer to manage environmental qualification and reliability validation for avionics hardware. Responsibilities include developing testing strategies, overseeing testing campaigns, and collaborating with design and manufacturing teams. Candidates should have a Bachelor's degree in a related field and experience in environmental testing. The company offers competitive benefits and is committed to an inclusive workforce.

Qualifications

• Hands-on experience with environmental or reliability testing of electronic hardware.
• Ability to work across design, test, and manufacturing teams.

Responsibilities

• Develop reliability validation strategies for avionics hardware.
• Oversee and conduct environmental testing including thermal cycling.
• Translate test findings into actionable design improvements.

Skills

Environmental testing experience

Troubleshooting complex hardware systems

Failure analysis knowledge

Collaboration across teams

Education

Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or related field

Tools

Standard lab instrumentation

Job description

About Castelion

Castelion is redefining defense development through rapid iteration, aggressive testing, and modern commercial manufacturing at scale. We design, build, and test next-generation long-range strike weapon systems to give the United States and its Allies a decisive advantage and deter future conflicts.

Avionics Reliability Engineer

We are hiring an Avionics Reliability Engineer to own environmental qualification and reliability validation across our avionics hardware. This role is responsible for developing and executing reliability test strategies, including HALT/HASS campaigns, and driving hardware improvement through deep failure analysis and cross‑functional collaboration. This position is ideal for engineers who want hands‑on ownership of environmental testing infrastructure and reliability processes while working closely with avionics design and manufacturing teams to rapidly mature flight hardware.

Responsibilities

• Develop reliability validation strategies for avionics hardware, including environmental and stress testing methodologies
• Design and execute HALT/HASS campaigns to identify failure modes and accelerate hardware maturation
• Specify, procure, and commission environmental test equipment and chambers
• Oversee and conduct environmental testing, including vibration, thermal cycling, and stress screening
• Perform live troubleshooting and root‑cause analysis on hardware under test
• Translate test findings into actionable design improvements and engineering change orders (ECOs)
• Partner with avionics design engineers to improve robustness and manufacturability
• Support manufacturing by developing and implementing screening procedures, authoring and verifying acceptance test procedures, and establishing reliability best practices to ensure product compliance and long‑term performance.
• Create and maintain clear documentation of test procedures, results, and reliability metrics
• Drive continuous improvement of reliability processes and test infrastructure

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelors degree in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, or related field
• Hands‑on experience with environmental or reliability testing of electronic hardware
• Experience troubleshooting complex hardware systems in a lab environment
• Familiarity with standard lab instrumentation and data acquisition
• Strong understanding of failure analysis and root‑cause methodologies
• Ability to work across design, test, and manufacturing teams

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Experience developing or running HALT/HASS or other accelerated life testing programs
• Familiarity with environmental chambers (thermal, vibration, combined stress)
• Experience with avionics, aerospace, automotive, or other high‑reliability hardware
• Background in reliability engineering, qualification testing, or validation engineering
• Experience writing test automation or analysis scripts (Python or similar)
• Knowledge of industry reliability standards and qualification practices

Leadership Qualities

• Bias to Action and Creative Problem Solving. Desire and experience questioning assumptions in ways that lead to breakthrough ideas that are ultimately implemented. Successfully bring in applicable processes/concepts/materials from other industries to achieve efficiency gains. Ability to personally resolve minor issues in development without requiring significant support.
• High Commitment, High Initiative. A successful candidate will have a genuine passion for Castelion's mission and consistently look for ways to contribute to the company's technical goals and prevent hardware blockers. Ability to work in a fast paced, autonomously driven, and demanding atmosphere. Strong sense of accountability and integrity.
• Clear Communicator. Proactively communicates blockers. Trusted in previous roles to be voice of company with regulators, suppliers, gate keepers and customers. Capable of tactfully managing relationships with stakeholders to achieve company‑desired outcomes without compromising relationships. Emails, IMs and verbal interactions are logical, drive clarity, and detailed enough to eliminate ambiguity.

ITAR Requirements

• To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Employment with Castelion is governed on the basis of competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

All employees are granted long‑term stock incentives as part of their employment at Castelion. All employees receive access to comprehensive medical, vision, and dental insurance, and the company offers four weeks of paid time off per year.