Lead Manufacturing Engineer - Avionics

Castelion Corporation•Torrance, CA

About The Position

Were 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 nations premier hypersonics producer.

Requirements

Bachelors 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

Nice To Haves

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.

Responsibilities

Lead team & technical direction: Manage, mentor, and grow a team of manufacturing and test engineers/specialists; set team goals, track metrics, and drive continuous improvement.
Manufacturing process & production setup: 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.
Quality, testing, and reliability assurance: 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.
Continuous Improvement: Champion continuous improvement initiatives using Lean/CI methodologies (e.g., 5S, value-stream mapping, waste reduction, process optimization).
Documentation & Compliance: 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.