Senior Materials & Process Engineer, Energetic Materials

Castelion; Torrance (CA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee Equity

Four weeks paid time off

Medical: 100% employee + 80% dependEnt

Dental & Vision: 90% employees / 80%  

FSA/HSA options

401k plan

Paid parental leave

Meals & catering

Snacks & beverages

Fitness stipend

EV charging

Job summary

Castelion is seeking a Senior Materials & Process Engineer to lead the characterization, qualification, and failure analysis of solid rocket motor propellants and related material systems. This role focuses on translating material behavior into engineering requirements and qualification programs.

The candidate should have strong experience with polymer characterization (polymers/elastomers) and propellant techniques, with 5+ years in aerospace and ITAR compliance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in materials science/engineering, chemistry or a related discipline.
• 5+ years of experience working with polymer characterization, preferably within the aerospace industry.
• Prior experience with propellant characterization techniques including mechanical testing, impact, static, burn-rate, and impulse testing.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Must be authorized to work in the U.S. and comply with ITAR eligibility requirements.

Responsibilities

• Lead characterization of propellant and related polymeric material systems using mechanical testing, DMA, rheometry, DSC/TGA, microscopy, and other relevant techniques.
• Develop test methods to understand material behavior across relevant temperatures, strain rates, aging conditions, and operational environments.
• Develop and execute material qualification and acceptance testing programs for raw materials and cast propellant.
• Lead failure analysis and root-cause investigations related to material performance, processing, and manufacturing defects.
• Develop and maintain material specifications, process controls, test plans, and acceptance criteria.
• Partner with Propulsion and Manufacturing Engineering to translate characterization results into material selection, processing requirements, and design inputs.
• Support manufacturing scale-up by identifying relationships between processing conditions, material structure, and resulting properties and performance.
• Ensure material testing and qualification activities comply with applicable material, handling, and safety requirements.

Skills

Polymer characterization

Propellant characterization techniques

Materials failure analysis

Mechanical testing

DMA

Education

Bachelor's degree in materials science/engineering

Chemistry or related discipline

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.

Senior Materials & Process Engineer, Energetic Materials

Castelion is seeking an experienced Materials & Process Engineer to lead the characterization, qualification, and failure analysis of solid rocket motor propellants and related material systems. This individual will be responsible for developing a fundamental understanding of propellant material behavior, establishing characterization and qualification methodologies, and investigating material and process-related failures to support reliable propulsion hardware.

The successful candidate will bring strong expertise in the characterization of polymers, elastomers, or other viscoelastic materials, with experience translating material behavior into engineering requirements, specifications, and qualification programs. Prior experience with energetic materials or solid propellants is preferred but not required.

Responsibilities

• Lead characterization of propellant and related polymeric material systems using mechanical testing, DMA, rheometry, DSC/TGA, microscopy, and other relevant techniques.
• Develop test methods to understand material behavior across relevant temperatures, strain rates, aging conditions, and operational environments.
• Develop and execute material qualification and acceptance testing programs for raw materials and cast propellant.
• Lead failure analysis and root-cause investigations related to material performance, processing, and manufacturing defects.
• Develop and maintain material specifications, process controls, test plans, and acceptance criteria.
• Partner with Propulsion and Manufacturing Engineering to translate characterization results into material selection, processing requirements, and design inputs.
• Support manufacturing scale-up by identifying relationships between processing conditions, material structure, and resulting properties and performance.
• Ensure material testing and qualification activities comply with applicable material, handling, and safety requirements.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in materials science/engineering, chemistry or a related discipline.
• 5+ years of experience working with polymer characterization, preferably within the aerospace industry.
• Prior experience with propellant characterization techniques including mechanical testing, impact, static, burn-rate, and impulse testing.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Must be authorized to work in the U.S. and comply with ITAR eligibility requirements.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• 8+ years of experience working with polymer characterization, preferably within the aerospace industry.
• Prior experience with propellant characterization techniques including mechanical testing, impact, static, burn-rate, and impulse testing.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• 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.

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.

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.