Strike Weapons Program Manager

Castelion; Torrance (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity in the company

Paid time off

10 company-paid holidays

Health benefits (medical, dental, visn

Parental leave

Fitness stipend

Onsite EV charging

Catered meals & snacks

Job summary

Castelion in Torrance, CA is seeking a Program Manager to lead advanced hypersonic weapon programs from concept through delivery, serving as the primary interface with U.S. Government customers and internal engineering teams.

You will own program schedules, contractual commitments, and mission success, guide design reviews, manage risk, and coordinate proposals through FAR/DFARS while operating in a fast-moving startup environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related technical field.
• 8+ years of experience in aerospace, defense, or national security programs.
• Excellent communication and technical writing skills, including preparation of CDRLs and technical data packages.
• Deep familiarity with USG programs, acquisitions, and operational concepts.
• U.S. citizenship with the ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret/SCI clearance.

Responsibilities

• Program Leadership: primary customer interface, aligning mission requirements with Castelion's technology roadmap.
• Program Execution: manage cost, schedule, and technical performance from contract award through deployment.
• Proposal & Contract Management: lead proposal efforts and contract negotiations, ensure feasibility and compliance with FAR/DFARS.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: translate mission needs into product requirements with engineering.
• Customer Engagement: lead program reviews and maintain relationships with government stakeholders.
• Risk Management: identify risks early, develop mitigation plans, maintain schedule fidelity.
• Strategic Development: shape opportunities and architectures with government and industry partners.

Skills

Strong communication

Technical writing

Program management

Cross-functional collaboration

Security clearance

Education

Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related technical field

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.

Program Manager

As a Program Manager, you will lead the execution of advanced hypersonic weapon programs from initial concept through delivery, serving as the primary interface with U.S. Government customers and internal engineering teams. You will own program schedules, contractual commitments, and mission success, driving efforts from proposal through design, integration, flight test, and fielding.

This is a hands-on program leadership role in a rapidly evolving startup environment where you will be tasked to lead multiple ongoing programs of varying sizes and complexity. You will operate at the intersection of engineering, program management, and customer engagement, ensuring that Castelion's weapon systems meet the needs of our customers.

Responsibilities

• Program Leadership: Serve as the primary customer interface, ensuring alignment between mission requirements and Castelion's technology roadmap.
• Program Execution: Manage cost, schedule, and technical performance from contract award through integration, test, and deployment, delivering on all contractual milestones.
• Proposal & Contract Management: Lead proposal efforts and contract negotiations, ensuring technical feasibility, cost effectiveness, and compliance with FAR/DFARS requirements.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with engineering to translate mission needs into product requirements, guide design reviews, and manage technical or contractual changes.
• Customer Engagement: Lead program reviews, present technical and schedule briefings, negotiate requirements, and maintain strong relationships with government stakeholders.
• Risk Management: Identify program risks early, develop mitigation plans, and maintain schedule fidelity under aggressive timelines.
• Strategic Development: Shape new opportunities and architectures by collaborating with government and industry partners to inform future hypersonic strike capabilities.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelors degree in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related technical field.
• Excellent communication and technical writing skills, including preparation of CDRLs and technical data packages.
• 8+ years of experience in aerospace, defense, or national security programs.
• Proven track record of excellence and achievement.
• Deep familiarity with USG programs, acquisitions, and operational concepts.
• Strong understanding of U.S. Government acquisition processes, contracting, and operational concepts.
• Demonstrated success managing complex, multi-disciplinary engineering programs to cost and schedule.
• U.S. citizenship with the ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret/SCI clearance.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Experience in a fast-moving environment with compressed timelines.
• Familiarity with government acquisition processes, requirements decomposition, and systems verification.
• Familiarity with rapid prototyping, OTA contracts, and accelerated development environments.
• Active Top Secret/SCI clearance.

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.

• All full-time employees are granted meaningful long-term equity, sharing in the company's significant growth trajectory.
• We offer four (4) weeks of paid time off, ten (10) company-paid holidays, and comprehensive health benefits - including 100% employee-covered medical and strong dependent coverage, along with dental and vision plans.
• We also provide paid parental leave to support growing families, a $100 monthly fitness stipend to promote health and performance, and onsite EV charging for convenience.
• In addition, employees enjoy perks like catered meals, company-covered food during high-demand periods, and a fully stocked kitchen to stay fueled throughout the day.

Affirmative Action/EEO Statement

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.