Manufacturing Engineer - Propellant Mixing & Casting

Castelion; Midland (TX); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Long-term stock incentives

Comprehensive medical, vision, and dental insurance

401(k) plan

Paid parental leave

Job summary

A leading defense manufacturer in Midland, TX, is seeking a motivated Manufacturing Engineer to join the solid rocket motor production team. This full-time role involves supporting the development and execution of propellant mixing and casting operations, ensuring safety and efficiency. Applicants should have a Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering or related fields, with a preference for candidates with relevant work experience. The position offers competitive benefits and stock incentives, reflecting a commitment to employee development.

Qualifications

• 3 years of relevant experience preferred.
• Hands-on experience in a laboratory or manufacturing setting.
• Familiarity with basic safety practices in chemical environments.

Responsibilities

• Assist with propellant mixing, vacuum casting, and curing operations.
• Support process development with mixing trials and data collection.
• Troubleshoot casting defects and participate in improvement projects.

Skills

Strong foundational knowledge of chemistry and materials science

Excellent attention to detail

Strong written and verbal communication skills

Comfortable working with hand tools

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering or related discipline

Tools

Data acquisition systems

Basic test equipment

Job description

Manufacturing Engineer – Propellant Mixing & Casting

Join Castelion to apply for the Manufacturing Engineer – Propellant Mixing & Casting role.

Hardware Manufacturing & Global Security Enthusiast

About Castelion

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’re designing, building, and testing next‑generation long‑range strike weapons systems to give America and its Allies a definitive edge and deter future conflicts.

Job Overview

Castelion is building the next generation of defense hardware and is looking for a motivated early‑career Manufacturing Engineer to join our solid rocket motor production team in Midland, TX. In this hands‑on role, you will support the development, qualification, and daily execution of safe and repeatable propellant mixing, vacuum casting, and curing.

Key Responsibilities

• Assist the day‑to‑day execution of propellant mixing, vacuum casting, and curing operations following established procedures and safety protocols.
• Support process development by running small‑scale mixing trials, collecting rheology and temperature data, and documenting results.
• Help troubleshoot common casting defects (voids, cracks, unbonded areas) by performing root‑cause analysis with guidance from senior team members.
• Participate in continuous improvement projects focused on yield improvement, cycle‑time reduction, and waste elimination.
• Operate and maintain mixing equipment, vacuum systems, ovens, and basic inspection tools.
• Contribute to the creation and revision of standard operating procedures (SOPs), work instructions, and process control documentation.
• Support scale‑up activities by helping specify fixtures, tooling, and layout improvements for higher‑rate production.
• Work closely with Quality Assurance, EHS, and senior engineers on non‑conformance investigations and corrective actions.
• Assist in new product introduction (NPI) tasks such as qualification casting runs, PFMEA updates, and basic non‑destructive evaluation (NDE).
• Maintain accurate records in the Manufacturing Execution System (MES) and help implement simple data‑collection or automation scripts when needed.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Materials Science, or a closely related discipline.
• 3 years of relevant experience (co‑op, internship, or academic research projects involving process engineering, composites, or energetics strongly preferred).
• Strong foundational knowledge of chemistry and materials science (coursework or projects involving polymers, composites, or reaction kinetics is a plus).
• Hands‑on experience in a laboratory or manufacturing setting (academic labs, senior design projects, internships, or personal projects count).
• Familiarity with basic safety practices in chemical or energetic material environments.
• Comfortable working with hand tools, data acquisition systems, and basic test equipment.
• Excellent attention to detail and ability to follow strict procedures.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Preferred Skills

• Prior exposure to composite propellants, vacuum casting, rheology, or energetic materials (even academic or hobby rocketry experience).
• Basic scripting or data analysis skills (Python, MATLAB, Excel VBA, or LabVIEW).
• Experience reading technical drawings and CAD models.
• Enthusiasm for defense technology and willingness to work in a regulated, high‑safety environment.

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 – 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, 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 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 (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 and Benefits

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 receive long‑term stock incentives, comprehensive medical, vision, and dental insurance, a 401(k) plan, paid time off, and paid parental leave including paternity and maternity leave.

Seniority Level

Associate

Employment Type

Full‑time

Job Function

Engineering and Manufacturing

Industries

Defense and Space Manufacturing