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 supports reliable motor performance, structural integrity, and thermal protection through the design of metallic components, composites, insulation, and related soft goods systems. The engineer will work hands-on with multidisciplinary teams in a fast-paced, hardware-driven environment to design, analyze, build, test, and validate propulsion hardware.

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.
Proficiency with CAD software such as NX 8.5, PTC Creo, or CATIA, and GD&T per ASME Y14.5-1994.
Proficiency with analysis and modeling tools such as MATLAB, Abaqus, or equivalent.
Experience building, integrating, and troubleshooting hardware 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 leading up to major milestones.
Ability to travel up to 30% on an ongoing basis.
Ability to access applicable export-controlled information without additional export licensing, as required for employment.

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, or 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 propulsion hardware architecture and detailed design to meet performance, structural, and thermal requirements.
Perform thermal and structural analyses for components operating in 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 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 for soft goods design and processing.
Partner with program leadership on technical trades aligned with mission success.