Lead Integration & Test Engineer

Castelion • Torrance, CA

3d

About The Position

Castelion is seeking a Lead Integration & Test Engineer to lead the integration and verification of warhead systems within complete hypersonic missile vehicles. The role covers integration of energetics, fuzing, safe-and-arm devices, and structural interfaces with missile airframes, radars, propulsion, avionics, and thermal protection systems. The engineer will own integration and test strategies from subassembly through full vehicle level, supporting ground qualification, environmental testing, and flight test campaigns for next-generation hypersonic strike weapons.

As the technical authority for warhead-vehicle integration and test, this role collaborates with design, manufacturing, propulsion, radar, quality, and mission assurance teams to meet DoD standards and mission requirements. The 2026 outcomes include delivering a production-ready integration and test process in Rio Rancho, New Mexico; planning the scale-up from low-rate initial production to thousands of units per year; supporting rapid test flight cadence; developing safe vehicle integration and testing processes; and building a team capable of supporting future facilities and production execution.

Requirements

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related field.
• At least 8 years of integration and test experience with complex aerospace or defense systems.
• At least 4 years specifically working with warheads, munitions, or energetic systems integration.
• Demonstrated leadership of vehicle-level integration and test campaigns, preferably on missile or hypersonic programs.
• Strong experience with ordnance handling, safe-and-arm devices, and energetic materials integration.
• Proficiency in test automation using LabVIEW, Python, or MATLAB, as well as data acquisition systems and telemetry.
• Hands-on experience with environmental testing and ordnance functional verification.
• Experience with requirements management and configuration control.
• Familiarity with 3D CAD for integration planning.
• Ability to lead technical teams in high-stakes, safety-critical environments.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills for executive and customer briefings.
• Strong problem-solving skills under stringent safety and schedule constraints.
• Ability to access applicable export-controlled information without additional export licensing being required.

Nice To Haves

• Direct experience on DoD missile or hypersonic warhead programs.
• Background in fast-paced development environments.
• Knowledge of insensitive munitions and advanced warhead designs.
• Prior flight test support at ranges.
• Experience with classified programs and TS/SCI-level work.

Responsibilities

• Lead warhead-to-vehicle integration, including mechanical mating, electrical interface verification, fuze and safe-and-arm installation, and safe separation testing.
• Develop and execute vehicle-level Integration & Test plans covering functional checkout, ordnance arming sequences, environmental qualification, and system verification.
• Design and commission integration tooling, test fixtures, and automated test equipment for warhead handling and full missile assembly.
• Oversee environmental stress screening, including thermal, vibration, shock, and EMI/EMC testing, as well as functional performance testing of integrated warhead-vehicle systems.
• Support flight test preparation, range coordination, pre-flight checkout, post-flight data analysis, and anomaly resolution.
• Investigate root causes and implement corrective actions for integration and test anomalies using FRACAS and fault tree analysis.
• Ensure compliance with explosive safety standards, DoD 6055.09, MIL-STD-810, and mission assurance requirements.
• Mentor integration and test engineers and lead cross-functional I&T teams during build and test campaigns.
• Improve integration processes, test automation, and digital thread implementation to accelerate iteration cycles.
• Deliver a production-ready integration and test process in Rio Rancho, New Mexico.
• Develop a plan to scale from low-rate initial production to full-volume production supporting thousands of units per year.
• Support a rapid test flight cadence to validate vehicle capability.
• Develop safe vehicle integration and testing processes that ensure operator safety.
• Build an integration and test engineering team able to independently support future facility development and production execution.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior