Senior Mechanical Design Engineer (Structures & Thermal Protection Integration)

STEM Boomerang • Rio Rancho, NM

5d

About The Position

We are seeking a Senior Mechanical Design Engineer to design and deliver critical flight vehicle structures for Castelion's long-range hypersonic strike vehicles. This role is focused on structural systems that interface with and enable the thermal protection system (TPS), including separating nose tip architectures and other high-temperature structural components. You will work hands-on with multidisciplinary engineering teams to design, analyze, build, and validate flight-critical structures in a fast-paced, hardware-driven environment.

Requirements

• Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in Mechanical Engineering or related field
• 5+ years of experience in structural design and analysis for aerospace or high-performance systems
• Strong background in high-temperature structures and materials, particularly in TPS-adjacent or aerothermal environments
• Experience designing separation systems, joints, and structural interfaces for flight hardware
• Proficiency in CAD and analysis tools (e.g., NX, SolidWorks, ANSYS, or equivalent)
• Experience with structural and thermal analysis, including thermal-structural coupling and tolerance stack-up
• Familiarity with materials used in high-temperature environments (e.g., ceramics, carbon-carbon, refractory metals, or similar)
• Experience with hardware build, test, and troubleshooting in a lab or flight hardware environment
• Strong problem-solving mindset, thriving in a fast-paced, hardware-rich, high flight cadence environment

Responsibilities

• Design and deliver critical flight vehicle structures for long-range hypersonic strike vehicles.
• Focus on structural systems that interface with and enable the thermal protection system (TPS), including separating nose tip architectures and other high-temperature structural components.
• Work hands-on with multidisciplinary engineering teams to design, analyze, build, and validate flight-critical structures.
• Operate in a fast-paced, hardware-driven environment.

Benefits

• Meaningful equity for all full-time employees
• Four (4) weeks of paid time off
• Ten (10) company paid holidays
• Medical plans at 100% employee covered and 80% of dependent coverage
• Dental & Vision: 90% for employees and 80% for dependents
• FSA/HSA options
• 401k plan
• Paid Parental Leave: up to 10 weeks for birthing parents, up to 4 weeks for non-birthing parents (additional paid pregnancy leave for CA employees)
• Frequently catered lunches and team meals
• Company-covered meals when extra time or effort is required
• Fully stocked kitchen with unlimited snacks and drinks
• $100 monthly fitness stipend
• Onsite electric vehicle charging

What This Job Offers

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