Senior Mechanisms Engineer

Castelion Corporation•Torrance, NM

20h

About The Position

Castelion is seeking a Senior Mechanisms Engineer to design and deliver high-performance mechanical actuation systems for long-range hypersonic strike vehicles. The role supports precise, reliable control-surface motion and deployment under extreme flight conditions. Working hands-on with multidisciplinary teams in a fast-paced, hardware-driven environment, the engineer will design, analyze, build, integrate, and validate mechanisms such as elevon drive trains and related actuation systems. The position also involves mentoring junior engineers and partnering with program leadership on technical trades aligned with mission success. Employment may be contingent on meeting applicable export-control requirements and, if designated, obtaining and maintaining required U.S. Government security clearance or other authorization.

Requirements

Bachelor's, master's, or PhD in Mechanical Engineering or a related field.
At least 5 years of experience in mechanism design, analysis, and validation for aerospace or high-performance mechanical systems.
Strong background in gear trains, actuation systems, and precision mechanical design.
Experience designing electromechanical actuators (EMAs) for aerospace or similarly demanding applications.
Familiarity with motor-driven actuation systems, including motor selection, gear reduction, torque transmission, and position feedback mechanisms.
Experience designing control-surface drive systems or similar high-load, high-reliability mechanisms.
Proficiency with CAD and analysis tools such as NX, SolidWorks, ANSYS, or equivalent.
Experience with structural analysis, fatigue and life assessment, and tolerance stack-up analysis.
Familiarity with high-temperature materials, lubrication strategies, and operation in extreme environments.
Experience with hardware build, test, and troubleshooting in a lab or flight-hardware environment.
Strong problem-solving mindset and ability to thrive in a fast-paced, hardware-rich environment with a high flight cadence.
Ability to access applicable export-controlled information without additional export licensing being required.

Responsibilities

Design and develop mechanical actuation systems, including elevon drive trains and control-surface mechanisms, for high-speed flight vehicles.
Lead the architecture and detailed design of mechanisms, including gear trains, linkages, bearings, and structural components.
Analyze loads, stresses, deflections, and dynamic behavior to ensure performance and reliability in extreme environments.
Collaborate with control electronics, GNC, avionics, and structures teams to integrate mechanisms with vehicle systems.
Conduct tolerance analysis, develop lubrication strategies, and assess life and reliability for high-duty-cycle systems.
Support prototyping, assembly, and hardware bring-up; troubleshoot mechanism performance issues and determine root causes.
Define and execute qualification and environmental test plans, including vibration, thermal, and shock testing.
Optimize designs for mass, stiffness, reliability, and manufacturability.
Mentor junior engineers and contribute to mechanism-design and analysis best practices.
Partner with program leadership to make technical trades aligned with mission success.