Senior Manufacturing Engineer – Composites Torrance, CA Mechanical Engineering

Castelion Corporation; Torrance (CA); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Castelion Corporation is seeking a Senior Manufacturing Engineer to establish in-house manufacturing capability for composite components at our LA Manufacturing - Composites site in Torrance, CA. You will qualify layup processes, release work instructions, and develop tooling to produce flight-ready hardware.

You will lead process development, design production tooling, and collaborate across design, materials, quality, and supply chain to ensure manufacturability, quality, and on-time program

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or advanced degree in aerospace, manufacturing, materials, mechanical engineering or physics.
• 3+ years of experience building aerospace-grade composite components from scratch.

Responsibilities

• Develop, validate, and implement manufacturing processes for composite structures (layup, vacuum bagging, curing, trimming, bonding, assembly).
• Design and develop production tooling, fixtures, molds, and manufacturing aids for in-house production.
• Generate and release work instructions, process specs, and manufacturing documentation.
• Troubleshoot manufacturing issues and drive quality, yield, throughput, and cost improvements.
• Lead transition of composite components from development/external suppliers to internal production.
• Establish process controls, standards, and inspection requirements for consistent quality.
• Support equipment selection, factory development, and workflow optimization for efficient manufacturing.
• Collaborate with design and materials engineering for DFM feedback and manufacturability.

Skills

Composite manufacturing

Process development

DFM feedback

Tooling design

Troubleshooting

Documentation

Cross-functional

Education

Bachelor's or advanced degree in engineering or physics

Tools

SVN

Confluence

JIRA

Job description

Senior Manufacturing Engineer - Composites

• LA Manufacturing - Composites

Why Castelion, Why Now

Castelion is moving incredibly fast to develop and deliver advanced defense systems at a time when execution matters more than ever. We believe focus, ownership, and excellence are decisive advantages - and we're building a world-class team to turn bold ideas into real capability.

This is a rare opportunity to join at an early stage, where you'll have significant ownership, collaborate with exceptional teammates, and make a direct, measurable impact on our mission and the future of the company - regardless of your function.

Senior Manufacturing Engineer, Composites

Castelion is seeking a highly skilled Senior Manufacturing Engineer to establish in house manufacturing capability for composite components. This will include qualifying build processes, releasing mature work instructions, producing tooling, and training operators.

This role will be responsible for delivering flight ready composite hardware produced through internal Castelion manufacturing processes.

Responsibilities

• Develop, validate, and implement manufacturing processes for composite structures, including layup, vacuum bagging, curing, trimming, bonding, and assembly operations.
• Design and develop production tooling, fixtures, molds, and manufacturing aids required for in-house production.
• Generate and release work instructions, process specifications, and manufacturing documentation.
• Troubleshoot manufacturing issues and drive improvements in quality, yield, throughput, and cost.
• Lead the transition of composite components from development and external suppliers to internal production.
• Establish process controls, manufacturing standards, and inspection requirements to ensure consistent product quality.
• Support equipment selection, factory development, and workflow optimization to enable efficient composite manufacturing.
• Partner with design and materials engineering teams to provide DFM feedback and ensure products are designed for manufacturability and production success.
• Support development, qualification, and implementation of new composite materials, tooling concepts, and manufacturing methods.
• Work cross-functionally with design, quality, supply chain, procurement, and program management to meet performance, schedule, and cost objectives.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's or advanced degree in aerospace engineering, manufacturing engineering, materials engineering, mechanical engineering or physics.
• 3+ years of experience building aerospace grade composite components from scratch

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Experience in a hardware development environment
• Previous involvement in a high-speed production environment, handling flight hardware
• Prior involvement in a high-output environment, involving hands‑on experience in constructing composite components
• Ability to acclimate to frequently changing assignments and a fast‑paced working environment
• Excellent communication skills, both written and oral, along with effective teamwork abilities
• Superb focus and attention to detail, with remarkable work efficiency and accuracy
• Use of hand tools, power tools and fabrication tools
• Expertise in manufacturing and repairing intricate testing systems
• Familiarity with Atlassian tools such as SVN, Confluence, and JIRA
• Skills in project management

Castelion offers a generous benefits package. Please refer to the bottom of our Careers page for more details.

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.

Additional Eligibility Requirements

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.

Affirmative Action/EEO Statement

Castelion is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Castelion is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities throughout the application and hiring process. If you require a reasonable accommodation to complete an application, participate in the interview process, or otherwise participate in the hiring process, please contact [e-mail]. Requests for accommodation will be considered on an individual basis and handled in accordance with applicable law.

Castelion is committed to fostering a workplace where employment decisions are based on qualifications, business needs, and the ability to perform the essential functions of the role, with or without reasonable accommodation.

This position requires access to export‑controlled information, and as such, employment (or hiring of a contractor) is contingent upon the candidate’s ability to access all applicable export‑controlled information without additional export licensing being required by the Bureau of Industry and Security and/or the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls.