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Senior Materials & Process Engineer, Materials Testing

Torrance, CA
Full Time On-site

Summary

Job Description

Castelion is looking for an experienced Materials Characterization Engineer to act as the main technical resource for all materials testing at the company. In this role you will be responsible for all material coupon testing to support product development and qualification efforts.

The ideal candidate brings a strong background in materials science along with hands-on experience in mechanical testing, thermal analysis, and material characterization techniques. You should be comfortable running test hardware, interpreting test data, and working closely with cross-functional teams to provide clear, data-driven insights that support performance, reliability, and manufacturability.

Responsibilities

  • Own all materials coupon characterization test planning and execution for metals, composites, and bonded structures, in support of program qualification requirements and deadlines.
  • Lead development and maintenance of the material property allowables database.
  • Develop materials characterization lab including selection and commissioning of test hardware to improve capability, test lead-time and data quality.
  • Developed internal standardized test protocols based on relevant standards (ASTM, etc.).

Basic Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in materials engineering or a related field.
  • 5+ years of experience working in materials testing, preferably within the aerospace industry.
  • Must be authorized to work in the U.S. and comply with ITAR eligibility requirements.

Preferred Skills and Experience

  • Strong hands-on experience with materials characterization and sample preparation techniques (mechanical testing, hardness testing, TGA, DSC, OM, SEM/EDS, FTIR, XRD).
  • Strong knowledge of material testing standards (ASTM, ISO, ASM, etc).
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Benefits And Perks

  • Employee Equity: Meaningful equity for all full-time employees - share value has increased 150x in three years
  • Personal Time Off: Four (4) weeks of paid time off to unplug, reset, and come back sharp—velocity matters, burnout doesn't
  • Company Paid Holidays: Ten (10) company paid holidays
  • Medical: We offer plans at 100% employee covered and 80% of dependent coverage
  • Dental & Vision: We cover 90% employees and 80% for dependents to ensure you and your family have access to quality preventive and ongoing care
  • FSA/HSA: To support long-term health and financial resilience, we offer FSA and HSA options that allow employees to set aside pre-tax dollars for eligible medical and dependent care expenses
  • Retirement: 401k plan offered to support long term financial growth along side high-impact, high-velocity work
  • Paid Parental Leave: We support growing families with meaningful time to bond and recover. Birthing parents are eligible for up to 10 weeks of paid leave, while non-birthing parents may take up to 4 weeks of paid leave. This time can be used for pre-natal care, pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical needs—ensuring every parent has the support they need during this important life moment.8-weeks of paid parental leave for all parents. Additional paid pregnancy leave for CA employees
  • Meals & Catering: Frequently catered lunches and team meals, plus company-covered meals when extra time or effort is required
  • Snacks & Beverages: Fully stocked kitchen with unlimited snacks and drinks to keep you fueled throughout the day
  • Performance & Fitness: $100 monthly fitness stipend to support peak performance and health, both inside and outside of work
  • EV Charging: Onsite electric vehicle charging available for employees

Physical Demands

  • Must be able to work extended hours
  • Must be able to move and carry up to 25lbs

This position may require access to classified information or restricted U.S. Government sites, systems, or information, as determined by the Company and/or applicable U.S. Government requirements. If the position is so designated, your employment in the role may be contingent upon your ability to obtain and maintain the required U.S. Government security clearance or other government authorization, and to satisfy any citizenship or other eligibility requirements imposed by applicable law, regulation, executive order, or government contract requirements. You will be notified if and when such requirements apply. Failure to obtain or maintain any required clearance or authorization may result in reassignment, leave, or separation from employment, consistent with business needs and applicable law.

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.

About Castelion

Castelion

Castelion is one of the fastest-rising defense technology companies focused on building affordable, rapidly deployable hypersonic strike systems for the U.S. military. Founded by former SpaceX leaders, the company is working to modernize how advanced weapons are developed and manufactured—using rapid iteration, vertical integration, and scalable production to deliver next-generation deterrence capabilities faster than traditional defense programs. Castelion’s mission centers on restoring America’s ability to field advanced military technology at speed and scale.

For job seekers, Castelion offers the opportunity to work directly on some of the most advanced technologies in national defense, including propulsion systems, avionics, flight software, guidance and navigation, missile systems, and advanced manufacturing. The company hires across aerospace engineering, embedded software, manufacturing, test engineering, avionics, cybersecurity, and operations—making it especially attractive to engineers, builders, veterans, and mission-driven professionals who want hands-on ownership of real hardware.

Unlike traditional defense contractors, Castelion operates with a startup-style engineering culture modeled after rapid aerospace development environments. Employees work closely with flight hardware, testing, and production systems in a fast-paced setting where speed, accountability, and execution are prioritized. The company openly emphasizes a builder mentality—giving team members the chance to own major projects and contribute directly to systems with national security impact.

As the U.S. military increases investment in hypersonic weapons, missile modernization, and scalable deterrence capabilities, Castelion continues to grow rapidly through major government contracts and manufacturing expansion. For professionals seeking a high-growth aerospace and defense company where they can help shape the future of national security technology, Castelion is quickly becoming one of the most exciting employers in the defense innovation ecosystem.

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