Senior Avionics Test Engineer

Castelion Corporation • Torrance, CA

4d

About The Position

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. Senior Avionics Test Engineer We are looking for a Senior Avionics Test Engineer to own the validation and performance characterization of our control actuation systems the critical interface between control commands and physical motion on our flight vehicles. You will lead the development of rigorous test infrastructure, design and execute test campaigns, and help define the performance envelope of every actuator that flies. This role blends hands-on testing with systems-level thinking. You'll work closely with controls, software, avionics, and mechanical teams to ensure our actuation hardware is verified against realistic, mission-representative conditions.

Requirements

• B.S. or M.S. in Mechanical, Mechatronics, Aerospace, or Electrical Engineering.
• 4+ years of experience testing actuators, servos, or motion control systems for aerospace, automotive, robotics, or defense applications.
• Strong hands-on experience designing and running test setups involving motors, load cells, encoders, and motion control loops.
• Familiarity with embedded control systems and communication protocols (CAN, RS-422/485, SPI, Ethernet, Automotive Ethernet).
• Proficient in using instrumentation and data acquisition systems (e.g., Python, C++,Protobuffs, custom scripts)
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and lead multi-disciplinary integration efforts.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with high-force/high-precision actuator systems (e.g., TVC, flight control surfaces, robotic manipulators).
• Exposure to flight-like test environments, including environmental stress screening (ESS).
• Experience with fault injection, failure mode testing, and reliability qualification for mission-critical systems.
• Working knowledge of C/C++ or Python for custom test tooling or embedded systems debugging.
• Background supporting flight test or launch operations.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute comprehensive actuator test plans across component, subassembly, and integrated system levels.
• Build test fixtures, HIL environments, and automated test rigs to simulate flight conditions and actuator load profiles.
• Validate performance metrics such as torque, response time, bandwidth, power draw, and thermal behavior under nominal and fault scenarios.
• Instrument and log actuator tests for precise characterization and traceability.
• Lead root-cause investigations for performance anomalies or test failures.
• Collaborate with mechanical and control systems teams to refine actuator designs based on test results and failure data.
• Drive qualification testing and environmental testing campaigns (vibe, thermal, EMI) for flight hardware.

Benefits

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

What This Job Offers

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