Senior Thermal & TPS Integration Engineer

STEM Boomerang; Rio Rancho (NM); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee Equity

Paid Time Off

Medical Coverage

Dental & Vision

401k

Parental Leave

Meals & Catering

Snacks & Beverages

EV Charging

Fitness Stipend

Job summary

Castelion is seeking multiple Senior Thermal & TPS Integration Engineers to design and deliver thermal protection solutions for long-range hypersonic strike vehicles.

You will work with multidisciplinary teams to design, analyze, build, and validate TPS across the vehicle, including heat shields, control surface protection, and internal thermal insulation systems in a fast-paced, hardware-driven environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's/Master's/PhD in Aerospace/Mechanical/Materials or related field
• 5+ years in TPS design/analysis/validation for aerospace/high-temp
• Strong background in aerothermal environments, heat transfer, high-temp materials
• Experience designing TPS for flight vehicles (heat shields, protection)
• Familiarity with TPS materials: ceramics, carbon-carbon, ablatives, insulating blankets
• Experience with seals, gaps, interfaces in high-temp, moving/constrained systems
• Proficiency with thermal/structural analysis tools (ANSYS, MATLAB)
• Experience with high-temp testing methods (arc-jet, furnace)
• Hardware build, test, troubleshooting in lab/flight hardware
• Strong problem-solving mindset in fast-paced hardware-rich environment
• Excellent collaboration in cross-functional teams

Responsibilities

• Will design and deliver TPS solutions for hypersonic strike vehicles.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to analyze, build, and validate TPS.
• Cover TPS across the vehicle: heat shields, control surface protection, insulation systems.
• Operate in fast-paced, hardware-driven environment with hands-on work.

Job description

Senior Thermal & TPS Integration Engineer

Rio Rancho, United States | Posted on 08/06/2026

Castelion was founded to restore America’s ability to field advanced weapons at speed and scale. Inspired by the engineering urgency of the WWII and Apollo eras, we combine rapid iteration, vertical integration, and scalable manufacturing to deliver affordable, high-performance strike systems. Our mission: rebuild industrial agility to strengthen national security and outpace evolving threats.

About the Role:

We are seeking multiple Senior Thermal & TPS Integration Engineers to design and deliver thermal protection solutions for Castelion's long-range hypersonic strike vehicles. These roles are critical to ensuring vehicle survivability and performance in extreme aerothermal environments. You will work hands-on with multidisciplinary engineering teams to design, analyze, build, and validate TPS across the vehicle, including heat shields, control surface protection, and internal thermal insulation systems in a fast-paced, hardware-driven environment.

Requirements

• Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, or related field
  
• 5+ years of experience in thermal protection system design, analysis, and validation for aerospace or high-temperature applications
  
• Strong background in aerothermal environments, heat transfer, and high-temperature materials
  
• Experience designing TPS for flight vehicles, including heat shields, control surfaces, or internal insulation systems
  
• Familiarity with TPS materials such as ceramics, carbon-carbon, ablatives, and insulating blankets
  
• Experience with seals, gaps, and interface design in high-temperature, moving or constrained systems
  
• Proficiency in thermal and structural analysis tools (e.g., ANSYS, MATLAB, or equivalent)
  
• Experience with high-temperature testing methods (e.g., arc-jet, furnace, or similar)
  
• Experience with hardware build, test, and troubleshooting in a lab or flight hardware environment
  
• Strong problem-solving mindset, thriving in a fast-paced, hardware-rich, high flight cadence environment
  
• Employee Equity: Meaningful equity forall full-time employees - share value has increased 150x in three years
  
• Personal Time Off: Four (4) weeks of paidtime off to unplug, reset, and come back sharp—velocity matters,burnout doesn't
  
• Medical: We offer plans at 100% employeecovered and 80% of dependent coverage
  
• Dental & Vision: We cover 90%employees and 80% for dependents to ensure you and your family haveaccess to quality preventive and ongoing care
  
• FSA/HSA: To support long-term health andfinancial resilience, we offer FSA and HSA options that allowemployees to set aside pre-tax dollars for eligible medical anddependent care expenses
  
• Retirement: 401k plan offered to supportlong term financial growth along side high-impact, high-velocity work
  
• Paid Parental Leave: We support growingfamilies with meaningful time to bond and recover. Birthing parentsare eligible for up to 10 weeks of paid leave, while non-birthingparents may take up to 4 weeks of paid leave. This time can be usedfor pre-natal care, pregnancy, childbirth, and related medicalneeds—ensuring every parent has the support they need during thisimportant life moment.8-weeks of paid parental leave for allparents. Additional paid pregnancy leave for CA employees
  
• Meals & Catering: Frequently cateredlunches and team meals, plus company-covered meals when extra timeor effort is required
  
• Snacks & Beverages: Fully stockedkitchen with unlimited snacks and drinks to keep you fueledthroughout the day
  
• Performance & Fitness: $100 monthlyfitness stipend to support peak performance and health, both insideand outside of work
  
• EV Charging: Onsite electric vehiclecharging available for employees