Lead Structures & TPS Integration Engineer

Castelion Corporation; Rio Rancho (NM); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Castelion Corporation in New Mexico is seeking a Senior Mechanical Design Engineer to design and deliver flight vehicle structures, focusing on thermal protection system (TPS) integration and high-temperature components. You will collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams to ensure robust, lightweight structures for demanding flight profiles.

You will lead architecture and detailed design, perform structural and thermal analyses, and mentor junior engineers in a fast-paced, hardware-driven

Qualifications

• Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in Mechanical Engineering or related field.
• 5+ years in structural design and analysis for aerospace or high-performance systems.
• Experience with high-temperature structures and TPS-adjacent environments.
• Designing separation systems, joints, and structural interfaces for flight hardware.
• Experience with structural and thermal analysis including thermal‑structural coupling and tolerance stack‑up.
• Familiarity with high-temperature materials (ceramics, carbon‑carbon, refractory metals).
• Hardware build, test, and troubleshooting in a lab or flight environment.
• Strong problem-solving in fast-paced hardware-rich settings.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop flight vehicle structures, including separating nose tip systems and TPS components.
• Lead architecture and detailed design of high-temperature structural assemblies.
• Perform structural and thermal analyses under extreme conditions.
• Collaborate with materials, TPS, aerothermal, GNC, and manufacturing teams.
• Develop and analyze separation mechanisms and interfaces for flight conditions.
• Conduct tolerance analysis and assess thermal expansion and interfaces.
• Support prototyping, assembly, and hardware bring-up; troubleshoot issues.
• Define and execute qualification and environmental test plans.
• Optimize designs for mass, thermal performance, and manufacturability.
• Mentor junior engineers and share best practices.
• Partner with program leadership for technical trades.

Skills

Structural design

Aerospace experience

Thermal analysis

CAD proficiency

Education

Bachelor's/Masters/PhD in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

NX

SolidWorks

ANSYS

Job description

Castelion Corporation in New Mexico is seeking a Senior Mechanical Design Engineer to design and deliver flight vehicle structures, focusing on thermal protection system (TPS) integration and high-temperature components. You will collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams to ensure robust, lightweight structures for demanding flight profiles.

You will lead architecture and detailed design, perform structural and thermal analyses, and mentor junior engineers in a fast-paced, hardware-driven