Composites Technician - Filament Winding

Castelion; Torrance (CA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee equity

4 weeks PTO

401k plan

Paid parental leave

Meals provided

EV charging

Fitness stipend

Job summary

Castelion is seeking a hands-on Composites Technician to support the fabrication of rocket motor cases, nozzles, and other advanced filament wound structures. This role focuses on operating winding equipment, executing composite manufacturing processes, and supporting rapid hardware development and production.

Based in Torrance, CA, you will read drawings, set up equipment, troubleshoot, and ensure quality while working in a fast-paced aerospace environment.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• 4+ years operating manufacturing or composite processing equipment.
• Experience with composite materials, resin systems, and fiber handling.
• Ability to read and follow written work instructions precisely.
• Familiarity with precision measuring tools.

Responsibilities

• Operate filament winding equipment for composite hardware.
• Control cure ovens and monitor cure cycles to spec.
• Process materials, resin handling, winding, curing and inspection.
• Read engineering drawings and process specifications.
• Set up and troubleshoot winding equipment and tooling.
• Support development of winding patterns with engineering teams.
• Inspect hardware for dimensional and visual quality; perform rework as needed.
• Maintain clean, organized work areas; support fast-paced builds.

Skills

Filament winding

Composite processing

Reading drawings

Calipers & micrometers

Mechanical aptitude

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Tools

Filament winding equipment

Cure ovens

Job description

Castelion is moving incredibly fast to develop and deliver advanced defense systems at a time when execution matters more than ever. We believe focus and technical excellence are decisive advantages - and we are building a team that can deliver real capability, not just concepts.

This is a rare opportunity to join at an early stage, where your work will directly shape critical systems, influence major technical decisions, and have immediate, real-world impact.

Castelion is seeking a hands-on Composites Technician to support the fabrication of rocket motor cases, nozzles, and other advanced filament wound structures. This role focuses on operating winding equipment, executing composite manufacturing processes, and supporting rapid hardware development and production.

Responsibilities

• Prepare, set up, and operate filament winding equipment for composite hardware manufacturing.
• Operate cure ovens and monitor cure cycles in accordance with process specifications.
• Execute composite processing tasks including material preparation, resin handling, winding, curing, trimming, and inspection.
• Read and interpret engineering drawings, manufacturing travelers, and process specifications.
• Set up, adjust, and troubleshoot winding equipment, tooling, machine programs, and cure equipment.
• Support development and refinement of winding patterns and manufacturing methods with engineering teams.
• Inspect hardware for dimensional and visual quality requirements and perform rework when necessary.
• Maintain clean and organized equipment, tooling, and production work areas.
• Support fast-paced development and production builds while maintaining quality and safety standards.

Basic Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• 4+ years of experience operating manufacturing or composite processing equipment.
• Experience working with composite materials, resin systems, and fiber handling processes.
• Familiarity with precision measuring equipment including calipers, micrometers, and gauges.
• Ability to accurately follow written work instructions and manufacturing procedures.
• Mechanical aptitude and ability to work with production tooling and fixtures.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Experience with filament winding, rocket hardware, or aerospace composite structures.
• Experience operating industrial ovens or composite cure systems.
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings and composite layup/winding requirements.
• Experience supporting equipment setup, machine troubleshooting, or process optimization.
• Comfortable working independently and collaboratively in a high-tempo manufacturing environment.
• Experience with custom tooling or automated manufacturing systems.
• Employee Equity: Meaningful equity for all full-time employees - share value has increased 150x in three years
• Personal Time Off: Four (4) weeks of paid time off to unplug, reset, and come back sharp velocity matters, burnout doesn’t
• Medical: We offer plans at 100% employee covered and 80% of dependent coverage
• Dental & Vision: We cover 90% employees and 80% for dependents to ensure you and your family have access to quality preventive and ongoing care
• FSA/HSA: To support long-term health and financial resilience, we offer FSA and HSA options that allow employees to set aside pre-tax dollars for eligible medical and dependent care expenses
• Retirement: 401k plan offered to support long term financial growth along side high-impact, high-velocity work
• Paid Parental Leave: We support growing families with meaningful time to bond and recover. Birthing parents are eligible for up to 10 weeks of paid leave, while non-birthing parents may take up to 4 weeks of paid leave. This time can be used for pre-natal care, pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical needs ensuring every parent has the support they need during this important life moment.8-weeks of paid parental leave for all parents. Additional paid pregnancy leave for CA employees
• Meals & Catering: Frequently catered lunches and team meals, plus company-covered meals when extra time or effort is required
• Snacks & Beverages: Fully stocked kitchen with unlimited snacks and drinks to keep you fueled throughout the day
• Performance & Fitness: $100 monthly fitness stipend to support peak performance and health, both inside and outside of work
• EV Charging: Onsite electric vehicle charging available for employees

Physical Demands

• Must be willing to work extended hours and/or weekends as needed
• Must be able to travel up to 30%
• Must be able to lift more than 50lbs

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.

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. Failure to obtain or maintain any required clearance or authorization may result in reassignment, leave, or separation from employment, consistent with business needs and applicable law.

Affirmative Action/EEO Statement

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.

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.