R&D Propulsion Site Operations Lead

Cantos Ventures; Midland (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Paid time off 4 weeks

10 company holidays

Health benefits (employee coverage)

Dental and vision plans

Paid parental leave

Fitness stipend

Onsite EV charging

Catered meals

Fully stocked kitchen

Job summary

Castelion seeks a Site Operations Manager to own end-to-end operations of its R&D manufacturing site for solid rocket motors. You will lead a cross-disciplinary team and ensure safe, efficient, high-quality production and testing aligned with aggressive development schedules.

The role requires deep experience in energetic materials, propellant processes, and test programs, plus leadership across engineering, manufacturing, quality, and program management.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a technical field.
• 10+ years in manufacturing, operations, or test leadership in aerospace/defense.
• 5+ years in a supervisory/management role.
• Experience with solid rocket motor, propellant, or high-hazard ops.
• Knowledge of propellant mixing/casting, motor assembly, testing.

Responsibilities

• Own day-to-day operations of the development site including propellant manufacturing, SRM assembly, and testing.
• Lead and develop a multidisciplinary team; maintain safety culture and continuous improvement.
• Develop site operational plans, schedules, and resource allocation to meet milestones.

Skills

Solid rocket motor

Propellant manufacturing

Leadership

Safety compliance

ERP/MES systems

Configuration management

Production control

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or related technical field

Tools

ERP/MES systems

Configuration management

Production control practices

Job description

Castelion seeks a Site Operations Manager to own end-to-end operations of its R&D manufacturing site for solid rocket motors. You will lead a cross-disciplinary team and ensure safe, efficient, high-quality production and testing aligned with aggressive development schedules.

The role requires deep experience in energetic materials, propellant processes, and test programs, plus leadership across engineering, manufacturing, quality, and program management.