Principal Manufacturing Engineer

Core Responsibilities

• Define & Scale Manufacturing Processes
• Lead R&D-to-production transition by capturing existing (yet informal) production flows, formalizing them, and architecting scalable, high-throughput processes (e.g., tooling, layout, SOPs, PFMEA).
• Design a greenfield production site from scratch to produce radars at scale.
• Production Test Equipment Selection and Implementation
• Specify stations and necessary equipment for each production step—defining functional requirements, safety interlocks, interfaces, and use cases.
• Manage procurement and coordinate with hardware and software teams to ensure integration and deployment
• Data Capture & Quality Control
• Collaborate with design engineers and software teams to define what data to collect, set process control limits, and enable data capture, validation, storage, and visualization (e.g., dashboards, SPC tools)
• Troubleshooting & Continuous Improvement
• Provide technical support to resolve production issues, lead root-cause analysis, and drive continuous improvements in quality, cost, and throughput
• Cross-Functional Collaboration & Documentation
• Engage with R&D, design, test, operations, and suppliers to align manufacturing needs with design intent.
• Maintain up-to-date, accurate documentation for flow processes, test systems, and manufacturing specs
• Mentorship & Influence
• Act as the go-to expert for electronics production and test.
• Provide guidance to less experienced engineers and influence the company's overall approach to electronics production.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Aerospace, Systems, or Manufacturing Engineering (or related field)
• 10+ years in manufacturing engineering and/or production, with significant experience in avionics, high-reliability electronics, or aerospace hardware development

Preferred Experience

• Proven record in supporting NPI, pilot runs, and transition to production—delivering robust and scalable manufacturing systems.
• Demonstrated success in troubleshooting complex build issues and driving corrective actions.
• Skilled at interfacing with design, systems, test, and supplier teams to close the loop on manufacturability and production readiness.
• Experience in regulated or defense environments.
• Aptitude for mentoring and influencing cross-functional teams—without direct reporting relationships.

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.