Senior Propulsion Engineer (Rocket Motor Nozzles)

Castelion Corporation•Torrance, CA

About The Position

Castelion is seeking a Senior Propulsion Engineer to design and deliver rocket motor nozzles for long-range hypersonic strike vehicles. The role focuses on reliable motor performance, structural integrity, and thermal protection through the design of metallic, composite, insulation, and soft-goods systems. The engineer will work hands-on with multidisciplinary teams to design, analyze, build, and validate propulsion hardware in a fast-paced, hardware-driven environment. The position may require access to classified information, restricted U.S. Government sites or systems, and export-controlled information; applicable security clearance, government authorization, citizenship, or other eligibility requirements may apply.

Requirements

Bachelor's, master's, or PhD in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, or a related field.
At least 5 years of experience in rocket propulsion design, analysis, and testing for aerospace or defense applications.
Strong background in solid rocket motor design, including internal ballistics, grain design, and nozzle performance.
Experience with propulsion testing, including static-fire test setup, instrumentation, and data analysis.
Familiarity with structural and thermal design considerations for high-temperature, high-pressure systems.
Skill in CAD software such as NX 8.5, PTC Creo, or CATIA, and expertise in GD&T per ASME Y14.5-1994.
Proficiency in analysis and modeling tools such as MATLAB or Abaqus, or equivalent.
Experience with hardware build, integration, and troubleshooting in a lab or test environment.
Strong problem-solving skills and ability to thrive in a fast-paced, hardware-rich environment with a high test cadence.
Willingness and ability to work extended hours and/or weekends with minimal notice to meet critical deadlines ahead of major milestones.
Ability to travel up to 30% on an ongoing basis.
Ability to access applicable export-controlled information without additional export licensing is required; other government authorization, clearance, citizenship, or eligibility requirements may apply if designated.

Nice To Haves

Experience with nonlinear FEA, including contact, material nonlinearity, or large deformation.
Experience correlating analytical models with physical test data.
Experience characterizing material mechanical properties in severe environments, including hyperplastic materials, compression-molded composites, and tape-wrapped composites.
Experience with aerospace, hypersonic, launch vehicle, spacecraft, or other high-performance flight hardware.
Experience establishing engineering standards or methodologies.
Demonstrated ability to mentor and develop engineers technically.
Experience with composites, coatings, finishes, and advanced manufacturing processes for common solid rocket motor nozzle components.

Responsibilities

Design and develop rocket motor nozzle components, including interfacing hardware, high-temperature ablatives and insulators, adhesives, and metallic housings.
Lead the architecture and detailed design of propulsion hardware to meet performance, structural, and thermal requirements.
Perform thermal and structural analyses for high-temperature, high-pressure environments.
Develop and optimize material selections and formulations with materials and manufacturing teams.
Coordinate with propulsion, structures, and manufacturing teams to integrate soft goods with the overall motor design.
Support material processing, fabrication, and quality control of soft-goods components.
Plan and execute subscale and full-scale motor test campaigns and analyze results to guide design improvements.
Conduct failure analysis and root-cause investigations involving insulation performance, erosion, cracking, or debonding.
Mentor junior engineers and contribute to best practices in soft-goods design and processing.
Partner with program leadership on technical trade-offs aligned with mission success.