Senior Rocket Propulsion Engineer - Soft Goods Lead

Castelion; Rio Rancho (NM); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Castelion is seeking a Senior Propulsion Engineer to design and deliver rocket motor soft goods for our long-range hypersonic strike vehicles. You will work hands-on with multidisciplinary teams to design, analyze, build, and validate liners, insulators, inhibitors, and related internal components in a fast-paced hardware-driven environment.

The role requires a Master's/PhD (or equivalent) in a relevant field and 5+ years in rocket propulsion or high-temperature materials, with strong experience

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD in Aerospace/Mechanical/Materials or related field.
• 5+ years of experience in rocket propulsion or high-temperature material systems.
• Strong background in insulation materials, liners, and bonding systems for solid motors.
• Experience with thermal protection materials under high heat flux and pressure.
• Proficiency in analysis and modeling tools (MATLAB/ANSYS) and propulsion testing.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop rocket motor soft goods (liners, insulators, inhibitors, internal components).
• Lead architecture and detailed design to ensure compatibility with propellant and motor conditions.
• Perform thermal, chemical, and structural analyses for durability in harsh environments.
• Develop materials selections and formulations with materials/manufacturing teams.
• Define bonding strategies for robust adhesion and debonding prevention.
• Collaborate with propulsion, structures, and manufacturing for integration.
• Support material processing, fabrication, and QC of soft goods components.
• Plan and execute subscale and full-scale motor tests; analyze results for design improvements.
• Conduct failure analysis and root-cause investigations related to insulation performance.

Skills

Rocket propulsion

Thermal analysis

MATLAB

ANSYS

Materials engineering

Education

Bachelor/Master/PhD in Aerospace/Mechanical/Materials

Tools

MATLAB

ANSYS

Job description

Castelion is seeking a Senior Propulsion Engineer to design and deliver rocket motor soft goods for our long-range hypersonic strike vehicles. You will work hands-on with multidisciplinary teams to design, analyze, build, and validate liners, insulators, inhibitors, and related internal components in a fast-paced hardware-driven environment.

The role requires a Master's/PhD (or equivalent) in a relevant field and 5+ years in rocket propulsion or high-temperature materials, with strong experience