R&D Propulsion Site Operations Lead — Equity Eligible

Castelion Corporation; Midland (TX); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Paid time off

Holidays

Health benefits

Parental leave

Fitness stipend

EV charging

Catered meals

Job summary

Castelion Corporation is seeking a Site Operations Manager to own end-to-end operations at its R&D manufacturing and testing site for solid rocket motors. You will lead a multidisciplinary team to ensure safe, efficient, and high-quality propellant manufacturing, motor assembly, and testing for development programs including hypersonic initiatives.

You will drive operational excellence, plan resources, and coordinate with Propulsion Design, Manufacturing Engineering, Test Engineering, Quality,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a technical field such as mechanical, aerospace, chemical, or manufacturing engineering.
• 10+ years in manufacturing/ops/test leadership within aerospace/defense environments.
• 5+ years in supervisory or management roles leading production, R&D manufacturing, or testing operations.
• Experience owning or contributing to solid rocket motor, propellant, or high-hazard manufacturing and testing operations.
• Working knowledge of solid rocket motor manufacturing processes and development tests.
• Familiarity with facility and equipment management for energetic materials operations including safety systems.

Responsibilities

• Own day-to-day operations of the development site including propellant manufacturing, SRM assembly/integration, and testing.
• Lead and develop a high-performing team of engineers, technicians, and operators with a strong safety culture.
• Develop and execute site operational plans, schedules, and resource allocation to meet milestones.
• Drive process maturity, yield, throughput, and cost efficiency transitioning from R&D to production-ready methods.
• Ensure compliance with energetic materials handling, DoD, ATF, ITAR, range safety, and environmental standards.
• Oversee facility readiness, equipment uptime, maintenance, and capital planning for key systems.
• Collaborate with Design, Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, and Supply Chain on NPI and process changes.
• Lead root-cause investigations and continuous improvement across manufacturing and test operations.
• Support capability expansion and scaling to higher-rate production sites.

Skills

Leadership

Manufacturing Operations

Propellant Manufacturing

Safety Compliance

ERP/MES

Education

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

Tools

ERP/MES systems

Job description

Castelion Corporation is seeking a Site Operations Manager to own end-to-end operations at its R&D manufacturing and testing site for solid rocket motors. You will lead a multidisciplinary team to ensure safe, efficient, and high-quality propellant manufacturing, motor assembly, and testing for development programs including hypersonic initiatives.

You will drive operational excellence, plan resources, and coordinate with Propulsion Design, Manufacturing Engineering, Test Engineering, Quality,