Lead Manufacturing Engineer - Avionics

About the role

Castelion is bringing a new approach to defense development and production: one that focuses on short, iterative design cycles, rapid testing in development, and modern commercial manufacturing strategies for production at scale. We are designing, building, and testing next generation long range strike weapons systems to give America and its Allies a definitive edge and deter future conflicts.

Lead Manufacturing Engineer - Avionics

We are seeking a Lead Manufacturing Engineer to own the end-to-end manufacturing process for avionics hardware from initial prototype builds, establishing production processes and tooling, to scaling up and sustaining rate production. In this pivotal leadership role, you will build and lead a world class manufacturing engineering team, pushing for innovation and operational excellence that positions us as the nation’s premier hypersonics producer.

• Manage, mentor, and grow a team of manufacturing and test engineers/specialists; set team goals, track metrics, and drive continuous improvement.
• Develop, document, and implement manufacturing processes for avionics assemblies (e.g., PCB/PCBA, electromechanical units, harnesses/cabling, mechanical enclosures, etc.). Define and build manufacturing workflows, work instructions, Bill of Materials (BOM / MBOM), assembly/test procedures, and tooling/fixtures required for repeatable production.
• Plan and design factory/build-area layout, select tooling and equipment, manage process validation, and commission production.
• Transition from prototype to production. Participate in design reviews and provide feedback with a focus on design for manufacture (DFM), design for test (DFT), testability, manufacturability, supply chain considerations, and quality.
• Work cross-functionally with design engineering, quality control, supply chain, procurement, and program management to ensure timely delivery, compliance to requirements, and cost & schedule objectives.
• Develop and implement test processes (functional testing, environmental testing, acceptance testing as required: e.g., vibration, thermal, EMI/EMC, environmental stress screening) for avionics units, including test benches, fixtures, and automated test systems when needed.
• Lead root-cause investigations, corrective action plans, and process improvements when manufacturing or test anomalies occur. Define, track and improve manufacturing metrics: yields, throughput, cost per unit, scrap/rework rates, lead times, etc.
• Champion continuous improvement initiatives using Lean/CI methodologies (e.g., 5S, value-stream mapping, waste reduction, process optimization).
• Ensure all manufacturing, assembly, test and quality processes are properly documented (work instructions, procedures, change orders, non-conformance procedures, etc.). Support audits, configuration-management and traceability requirements typical in defense/aerospace industry environments.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering
• 5+ years of experience in a manufacturing environment with avionics, electronics, PCB/PCBA, and/or complex electromechanical hardware
• Demonstrated success in scaling a production operation from development/prototype to high volume production
• Experience in leading or mentoring engineers/technicians, and demonstrated team leadership / people management abilities
• Strong working knowledge of electronics hardware manufacturing: EEE components, PCBs, electromechanical assemblies, wiring/harnesses, test equipment, and relevant manufacturing techniques
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and cross-functional collaboration skills to interface with engineering, quality, supply-chain, and leadership
• Demonstrated commitment to safety, quality, and compliance

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Comfort operating in a fast-paced, high-stakes, high-reliability environment typical of aerospace/defense startups
• Able to make decisions under ambiguity, handle programmatic/contract demands, and adapt as priorities shift
• Experience with manufacturing execution systems (MES/ERP/PLM), production data systems, material resource planning (MRP), and digital manufacturing workflows to manage operations, quality, change control, and configuration
• Strong background in manufacturing engineering practices, operations excellence, and continuous improvement methodologies (e.g., Lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, process optimization, DFM/DFA, production flow and layout planning, tooling and automation)
• Familiarity with instrumentation, sensors, power supply design, multiplexed/serial data interfaces, cabling/harness layout, mechanical-electrical integration, and environmental constraints typical of avionics systems
• Experience with environmental acceptance / production acceptance testing: vibration, shock, thermal cycling, vacuum, EMI/EMC, etc.
• Deep knowledge of aerospace manufacturing standards and regulatory frameworks (e.g., AS9100, NADCAP, applicable military/defense manufacturing standards), including quality management, audit readiness, compliance, and export-control/ITAR requirements
• Experience developing or using avionics/software test and automation tools e.g., writing test scripts or frameworks in Python, MATLAB/Simulink, or LabVIEW, and working with avionics-specific test/verification suites, including integration with hardware (e.g., data acquisition, bus protocol, etc), and familiarity with requirements-to-test traceability and generating test reports
• Leadership Qualities: Bias to Action and Creative Problem Solving, Desire and experience questioning assumptions in ways that lead to breakthrough ideas that are ultimately implemented, Successfully bring in applicable processes/concepts/materials from other industries to achieve efficiency gains, Ability to personally resolve minor issues in development without requiring significant support, High Commitment, High Initiative, A successful candidate will have a genuine passion for Castelion's mission and consistently look for ways to contribute to the company's technical goals and prevent hardware blockers, Ability to work in a fast paced, autonomously driven, and demanding atmosphere, Strong sense of accountability and integrity, Clear Communicator, Proactively communicates blockers, Trusted in previous roles to be the voice of the company with regulators, suppliers, gatekeepers and customers, Capable of tactfully managing relationships with stakeholders to achieve company-desired outcomes without compromising relationships

ITAR Requirements

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.

Benefits

All employees receive access to comprehensive medical, vision, and dental insurance, and the company offers four weeks of paid time off per year.