Senior Tooling, Automation & Controls Lead

Castelion Corporation; Torrance (CA); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Castelion Corporation is seeking a Manager of Tooling, Automation & Controls to lead the design, deployment, and sustainment of advanced manufacturing tooling for hypersonic missile production. You will own tooling lifecycle, fixtures, automated work cells, robotic systems, and industrial controls architectures for safe, high-rate production.

You will build and lead a high-performing team of tooling engineers, automation specialists, and controls engineers to deliver reliable manufacturing

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical/ Electrical/ Mechatronics or related field.
• 5+ years in tooling, automation, and controls engineering for complex manufacturing.
• Leadership experience managing tooling & automation programs.
• Familiarity with ITAR, DoD explosive-safety standards.
• Strong program and people leadership with stakeholders at all levels.

Responsibilities

• Lead a multidisciplinary team responsible for all manufacturing tooling, automation, and controls across Castelion's production programs.
• Oversee design and qualification of precision tooling and fixtures for composite filament winding, propellant casting, avionics integration, and final vehicle build.
• Architect and deploy automated manufacturing cells, robotic systems, and motion-control solutions for high-precision, hazardous, and high-volume processes.
• Direct controls system development with full compliance to functional safety and Class I Div 1 / hazardous location standards.
• Drive end-to-end project execution from concept through first article testing, commissioning, and production handover, managing budgets, and schedules.
• Champion DFM and automation-first approaches in collaboration with design, manufacturing, and quality teams.
• Implement Industry 4.0 capabilities including MES integration, machine vision, digital twins, predictive maintenance, and real-time process monitoring.
• Establish and maintain standards for tooling design, controls architecture, documentation, and spare parts strategies.
• Manage vendor relationships for capital equipment, robotics, and controls hardware; negotiate contracts and lead equipment procurement.
• Mentor and develop engineers while fostering safety, innovation, and continuous improvement in a fast-paced defense environment.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Stakeholder management

Communication

Mentoring

Data-driven

Manufacturing automation

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Engineering

Tools

Rockwell

Beckhoff

Siemens

Fanuc

ABB

KUKA

SolidWorks

NX

EPLAN

AutoCAD Electrical

Job description

Castelion Corporation is seeking a Manager of Tooling, Automation & Controls to lead the design, deployment, and sustainment of advanced manufacturing tooling for hypersonic missile production. You will own tooling lifecycle, fixtures, automated work cells, robotic systems, and industrial controls architectures for safe, high-rate production.

You will build and lead a high-performing team of tooling engineers, automation specialists, and controls engineers to deliver reliable manufacturing