Lead R&D Technician

Castelion; Torrance (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Castelion in Torrance, CA is seeking a Lead R&D Technician to support design, setup, execution, and documentation of tests on hypersonic missile components during development. You will work with design and manufacturing teams to ensure performance, reliability, and safety.

You will lead a team of technicians for fabrication, assembly, and test article modification, supervise fixtures and data acquisition systems, and contribute to data reviews and reporting.

Qualifications

• Five+ years of hands-on mechanical experience in aerospace/automotive testing or fabrication.
• Experience reading schematics, wiring diagrams, and engineering drawings.
• Experience with precision measuring instruments and calibration.
• Able to fabricate harnesses and assemble test articles.
• Knowledge of data acquisition systems and control hardware.

Responsibilities

• Lead technicians in fabrication, assembly, and modification of test articles.
• Supervise test fixture setup and instrumentation configurations.
• Participate in hazardous tests and monitor/test data.
• Capture and log data using software/hardware tools.
• Provide data summaries and engineering reports.
• Maintain calibration, logs, and traceability.
• Support root cause analysis and continuous improvement.

Skills

Team leadership

Mechanical assembly

Test data logging

Instrumentation

Data acquisition

Troubleshooting

Education

High school diploma

Associate degree in engineering

Tools

National Instruments PXI/cSeries

PLC

Precision measuring tools

Job description

Castelion is bringing a new approach to defense development and production: one that focuses on short, iterative design cycles, rapid testing in development, and modern commercial manufacturing strategies for production at scale. We design, build, and test next generation weapon systems to give America and its Allies a definitive edge in defense capabilities.

Castelion is seeking a detail-oriented and highly motivated Lead R&D Technician to join our manufacturing team. In this role, you will support the design, setup, execution, and documentation of tests on hypersonic missile components and systems during the development phase. You will work closely with design and manufacturing engineering teams to ensure products meet rigorous performance, reliability, and safety standards.

Responsibilities:

• Lead a team of technicians responsible for fabrication, assembly, and modification of test articles (precision drilling, bonding, harnessing)
• Supervise assembly and configuration of test fixtures, instrumentation, and equipment for development tests (mechanical and fluid assemblies, data and control systems.)
• Participate in hazardous test operations - including configuration, execution, troubleshooting and monitoring/data recording.
• Accurately capture and log test data using appropriate software and hardware tools.
• Perform initial data reviews to identify anomalies or deviations from expected results.
• Provide test data summaries and reports to engineering teams.
• Maintain, calibrate, configure, monitor, test, troubleshoot, install, and repair instrumentation, process controls, data acquisition systems, and electrical systems
• Perform routine maintenance on test setups and ensure compliance with calibration standards.
• Collaborate with engineers to refine test plans and procedures.
• Maintain detailed and accurate test logs, records, and documentation for traceability and audits.
• Support root cause analysis and continuous improvement efforts.

Basic Qualifications:

• High school diploma or equivalency certificate
• 5+ years of hands on mechanical experience in one or more of the following: testing of aerospace/automotive systems, maintenance/troubleshooting complex mechanical systems, and/or fabrication/assembly of complex electromechanical systems.

Preferred Skills and Experience:

• Associate degree in engineering, mechanical, electrical systems, or other related field
• Experience reading/interpreting planning documents, schematics, wiring diagrams, specifications, drawings, manuals, blueprints, and engineering sketches
• Experience with precision measuring instruments/equipment
• Experience with aerospace or military-grade harness fabrication
• Knowledge of data acquisition and controls concepts, hardware, and interfacing (National Instruments PXI / cSeries and PLC)
• Experience with analog and digital instrumentation (load cells, pressure transducers, strain gauges, encoders, deflection gauges, and accelerometers)
• Experience with rigging, cranes, and lift operations

Leadership Qualities

Bias to Action and Creative Problem Solving. Desire and experience questioning assumptions in ways that lead to break through 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.

• 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.