Manager, Tooling Engineering

Castelion Corporation•Torrance, CA

About The Position

Castelion is seeking a Manager of Tooling Engineering to lead the design, qualification, and sustainment of manufacturing tooling for solid rocket motor and hypersonic hardware production. The role owns the tooling engineering function supporting composite case fabrication, liner and insulator application, nozzle and closure assembly, structural bonding, sheet-metal forming, motor integration, and related process tooling. The manager will build and lead a team delivering safe, repeatable fixtures, jigs, holding tools, and process tooling for high-yield development and high-rate production, including programs such as Blackbeard. The role partners with Manufacturing Engineering, Automation & Controls, Quality, Design, and Site Operations, and serves as the technical authority for tooling standards and capability across development and production sites. The position supports facility ramp-up and production scaling at Midland, Texas, and the Project Ranger campus in New Mexico. It requires access to export-controlled information. Depending on designation, access to classified information or restricted U.S. Government sites, systems, or information may also require a security clearance or other government authorization, citizenship, or eligibility requirements.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related field.
At least 8 years of tooling design or manufacturing engineering experience in aerospace, defense, or complex composite or precision assembly.
At least 3 years leading engineers or serving as a technical lead on tooling programs.
Demonstrated success designing and releasing production tooling for composite structures, bonded assemblies, or propulsion hardware.
Strong proficiency in 3D CAD, such as SolidWorks or NX, for fixture and tooling design.
Experience with GD&T, tolerance stack-up, fixture concepting, and manufacturing documentation.
Working knowledge of composite layup or winding fixtures, bonding fixtures, machining fixtures, and assembly tooling.
Familiarity with tooling materials, surface treatments, and design for wear, cleanability, and maintainability.
Ability to interface with automation systems and understand work-cell constraints.
Understanding of aerospace quality systems, including AS9100, and configuration control.
Proven ability to lead and develop tooling engineers while retaining technical credibility.
Strong collaboration skills with Manufacturing, Automation, Design, and Operations teams.
Ability to clearly communicate technical risk, schedule, and cost to leadership.
Hands-on problem-solving mindset and attention to process discipline.
Safety-first approach in facilities that handle energetic materials.
Ability to access applicable export-controlled information without requiring additional export licensing; other government authorization or eligibility requirements may apply if the position is designated for classified access.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree.
Direct tooling experience on solid rocket motor cases, nozzles, liners, or missile composite structures.
Background in fast-paced defense or space manufacturing environments.
Experience scaling tooling from development to high-rate production.
Prior people leadership of a tooling or fixture design team.
Familiarity with ITAR programs, classified manufacturing, and energetic-materials facilities.
Track record of reducing tooling-related scrap, cycle time, or changeover time.

Responsibilities

Lead the tooling engineering team, including setting priorities and technical direction, hiring, mentoring, and managing performance.
Own the design, review, and qualification of process tooling, fixtures, jigs, holding tools, and assembly aids for solid rocket motor hardware.
Establish and enforce tooling design standards, documentation practices, drawing packages, and configuration control.
Provide Design for Manufacturability and Design for Tooling input for new product introduction and design changes.
Partner with Manufacturing Engineering and Automation & Controls on work-cell concepts, fixture interfaces, and semi-automated or automated tooling solutions.
Oversee tooling qualification, first-article tryouts, process capability assessments, and production release.
Manage tooling maintenance, spare-parts strategy, life tracking, and continuous improvement of existing tooling.
Coordinate with suppliers and internal machine shops on tooling fabrication, materials, and lead times.
Ensure tooling designs support safety, contamination control, and compliance requirements in energetic-materials facilities.
Support facility ramp-up and production scaling at Midland, Texas, and the Project Ranger campus in New Mexico.
Report tooling readiness, risk, cost, and schedule metrics to senior manufacturing leadership.