Senior Propulsion & Ordnance Engineer

Castelion Corporation•Torrance, CA

27d

About The Position

We are seeking a Senior Propulsion & Ordnance Engineer to design and deliver ignition and energetic systems for Castelion's long-range hypersonic strike vehicles. This role is critical to enabling reliable motor ignition, flight termination, and stage separation through robust, high-performance energetic devices. You will work hands-on with multidisciplinary engineering teams to design, analyze, build, and validate ignitors, detonators, destruct charges, linear shaped charges, and related systems in a fast-paced, hardware-driven environment.

Requirements

Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, or related field
5+ years of experience in propulsion, ignition systems, or ordnance/energetics design for aerospace or defense applications
Strong background in rocket motor ignitors, detonators, initiation systems, and/or explosive devices such as shaped charges or destruct systems
Experience with energetic materials, initiation chains, and safe handling practices
Familiarity with AFTS or flight termination systems and associated hardware
Experience with ground testing of energetic systems, including instrumentation and data analysis
Proficiency in analysis and modeling tools (e.g., MATLAB, ANSYS, or equivalent)
Experience with hardware build, integration, and troubleshooting in a lab or test environment
Strong problem-solving mindset, thriving in a fast-paced, hardware-rich, high test cadence environment

Nice To Haves

This position may require access to classified information or restricted U.S. Government sites, systems, or information, as determined by the Company and/or applicable U.S. Government requirements. If the position is so designated, your employment in the role may be contingent upon your ability to obtain and maintain the required U.S. Government security clearance or other government authorization, and to satisfy any citizenship or other eligibility requirements imposed by applicable law, regulation, executive order, or government contract requirements. You will be notified if and when such requirements apply.
This position requires access to export-controlled information, and as such, employment (or hiring of a contractor) is contingent upon the candidate’s ability to access all applicable export-controlled information without additional export licensing being required by the Bureau of Industry and Security and/or the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls.

Responsibilities

Design and develop energetic systems, including rocket motor ignitors, detonators, AFTS destruct charges, and linear shaped charges for stage separation
Lead the architecture and detailed design of ignition and ordnance hardware, including initiation chains, packaging, and integration with vehicle systems
Perform thermal, structural, and energetic performance analyses to ensure reliable initiation, propagation, and output under extreme environments
Develop and optimize ignition systems for consistent, repeatable motor start across a range of operating conditions
Work closely with propulsion, AFTS, structures, avionics, and safety teams to ensure seamless integration of ordnance systems with vehicle architecture
Support energetic material selection, handling, and processing in collaboration with materials and manufacturing teams
Plan and execute ground test campaigns, including component-level and integrated system testing, and analyze results to drive design improvements
Conduct failure analysis and root cause investigations related to ignition performance, initiation reliability, or ordnance function
Ensure compliance with safety, handling, and mission assurance requirements for energetic systems
Mentor junior engineers and contribute to best practices in propulsion and ordnance system design
Partner closely with program leadership to make technical trades aligned with mission success