Project Engineer

About Castelion

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’re designing, building, and testing next generation long range strike weapons systems to give America and its Allies a definitive edge and deter future conflicts.

Project Engineer

As a Project Engineer at Castelion, your mission is simple: get results. You’ll lead projects on tight schedules, responding to challenges with hands-on technical work and problem-solving skills. With minimal supervision, you’ll drive engineering solutions to completion while balancing long-term goals with the need for rapid, short-term success.

Responsibilities

1. Problem-Solving and Firefighting: You’ll be the first line of defense against setbacks, whether rebuilding test rigs, addressing test failures, or navigating in house alternatives to sourcing blockers like TPS or release mechanisms. You’ll roll up your sleeves for hands-on work and know when to bring in new suppliers.
2. Test Campaign Leadership: Organize, execute, and drive long-duration test campaigns (sometimes over months), demonstrating perseverance and ownership over the process from start to finish without waiting for direction on new or novel designs.
3. Action-Oriented Approach: You are comfortable taking initiative, default to action in the face of uncertainty, and refuse to take half measures against problems. When challenges arise, you’ll develop and run high-impact parallel designs to explore innovative solutions. You’ll distinguish between being resourceful and cutting corners, delivering quality results in short timeframes, hours-days vs weeks-months.

Core Competencies

1. Mechanical Fabrication: Expert in hands-on fabrication using machine tools, hand tools, and ideally CNC. Comfortable modifying drawings, writing manufacturing process instructions (MPIs), and teaching technicians to execute builds. Familiarity with soldering, harness assembly, and other detailed fabrication tasks.
2. Test Execution and Documentation: Able to install instrumentation and run data acquisition systems. Write detailed test procedures, reports, and document findings with precision. Skilled at debugging test software and managing systems like Raspberry Pi, servos, and other test apparatus.
3. Field Leadership and Organization: Capable of leading, organizing, and executing complex test campaigns, with air-tight bill of materials (BOMs), well documented results, and attention to detail. You’ll be proactive, gathering necessary information from the team without causing friction, and taking action to keep projects on track.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
• Willingness to travel as needed.

Leadership Qualities

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Clear Communicator: Proactively communicates blockers. Trusted in previous roles to be voice of company with regulators, suppliers, gate keepers and customers. Capable of tactfully managing relationships with stakeholders to achieve company-desired outcomes without compromising relationships. Emails, IMs and verbal interactions are logical, drive clarity, and detailed enough to eliminate ambiguity.

All employees are granted long-term stock incentives as part of their employment as Castelion. All employees receive access to comprehensive medical, vision, and dental insurance, and the company offers three weeks of paid time off per year.

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.

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.