Manufacturing Engineer, Materials Manufacturing

Castelion; Torrance (CA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity for employees

Paid time off – 4 weeks

Medical plans – 100% employee covered

Job summary

Castelion seeks a hands-on Manufacturing Engineer to support and scale materials manufacturing processes for our Ceramic Matrix Composite (CMC) production system. The role bridges material process development with day-to-day manufacturing execution on the factory floor.

You will own process implementation, controls, and documentation while partnering with Materials and Equipment Engineering to deliver reliable, repeatable manufacturing methods and train technicians for production readiness.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing, Mechanical, Materials, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• 3+ years of manufacturing or process engineering experience.
• Experience developing, improving, or scaling manufacturing processes.
• Hands-on experience with manufacturing equipment and production troubleshooting.
• Ability to translate technical requirements into practical manufacturing processes.
• Strong mechanical aptitude and cross-functional communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Own the manufacturing implementation and scale-up of materials manufacturing processes supporting CMC production.
• Partner with Materials Engineering to translate material and process requirements into repeatable manufacturing methods.
• Work with Equipment Engineering to define equipment requirements and support design reviews, commissioning, and production readiness.
• Develop manufacturing work instructions, process controls, production documentation, and technician training.
• Troubleshoot production issues and drive improvements in process capability, yield, throughput, and equipment utilization.
• Develop production flow, cycle time, capacity, and staffing requirements to support increasing production rates.
• Support process validation, root cause investigations, and implementation of corrective actions.
• Work hands-on with technicians and engineers to continuously improve manufacturing operations.

Skills

Hands-on engineering

Cross-functional collaboration

Troubleshooting

Process optimization

Education

Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing, Mechanical, Materials, or Aerospace Engineering

Tools

Manufacturing equipment

Process controls

Production instrumentation

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.

Manufacturing Engineer – Materials Manufacturing

Castelion is seeking a hands-on Manufacturing Engineer to support and scale materials manufacturing processes used within our Ceramic Matrix Composite (CMC) production system. This role will work closely with Materials Engineering to translate material and process requirements into reliable, repeatable manufacturing methods, and with Equipment Engineering to develop the production systems needed to execute those processes at scale.

The Manufacturing Engineer will own the production implementation of the process, including manufacturing methods, process controls, production readiness, technician training, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement. This role will serve as the bridge between material process development and day-to-day manufacturing execution.

The ideal candidate is comfortable working across engineering disciplines and on the production floor, with a strong bias toward turning developing processes into robust manufacturing systems.

Responsibilities

• Own the manufacturing implementation and scale-up of materials manufacturing processes supporting CMC production.
• Partner with Materials Engineering to translate material and process requirements into repeatable manufacturing methods.
• Work with Equipment Engineering to define equipment requirements and support design reviews, commissioning, and production readiness.
• Develop manufacturing work instructions, process controls, production documentation, and technician training.
• Troubleshoot production issues and drive improvements in process capability, yield, throughput, and equipment utilization.
• Develop production flow, cycle time, capacity, and staffing requirements to support increasing production rates.
• Support process validation, root cause investigations, and implementation of corrective actions.
• Work hands-on with technicians and engineers to continuously improve manufacturing operations.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing, Mechanical, Materials, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• 3+ years of manufacturing or process engineering experience.
• Experience developing, improving, or scaling manufacturing processes.
• Hands-on experience with manufacturing equipment and production troubleshooting.
• Ability to translate technical requirements into practical manufacturing processes.
• Strong mechanical aptitude and cross-functional communication skills.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Experience with composites, ceramics, CMCs, carbon/carbon, or other advanced materials manufacturing.
• Experience transitioning processes from development into production.
• Familiarity with industrial controls, sensors, automation, and manufacturing data acquisition.
• Experience with process capability, DOE, SPC, or other manufacturing process improvement methods.
• Aerospace, defense, semiconductor, or other high-reliability manufacturing experience.
• 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.