Senior Manufacturing Engineer, Structural Bonding

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Senior Manufacturing Engineer, Structural Bonding

Rio Rancho, NM

• Manufacturing - Propulsion

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Why Castelion, Why Now

Castelion is moving incredibly fast to develop and deliver advanced defense systems at a time when execution matters more than ever. We believe focus, ownership, and excellence are decisive advantages - and we''re building a world-class team to turn bold ideas into real capability.

This is a rare opportunity to join at an early stage, where you''ll have significant ownership, collaborate with exceptional teammates, and make a direct, measurable impact on our mission and the future of the company - regardless of your function.

Job Description: Senior Manufacturing Engineer - Structural Bonding

Solid Rocket Motors & Composite Structures - Aerospace & Defense

Position Overview

We are seeking a Senior Manufacturing Engineer with deep experience in structural bonding to develop, qualify, and scale bonded-joint manufacturing for Castelion's solid rocket motors and related hypersonic hardware. This role focuses on liner-to-case bonds, insulator and composite interfaces, nozzle and closure bonds, metal-to-composite joints, and other structural adhesive applications used in motor assembly. You will own process definition, surface preparation, adhesive selection and application, cure control, inspection, and yield improvement while partnering with Design, Quality, Tooling & Automation, Production, and Site Operations. The objective is repeatable, high-reliability bonded structures that meet aerospace requirements from development builds through high-rate production.

Key Responsibilities

• Own manufacturing processes for structural bonding of SRM and related hardware, including liner/insulator-to-case bonds, composite-to-metal joints, nozzle/closure bonds, and bonded assembly interfaces.
• Develop and qualify surface-preparation, adhesive application, fixturing, cure, and inspection processes to achieve consistent bond-line quality and structural performance.
• Execute DFM/DFA, PFMEA, control plans, and statistical process control (SPC) for bonded assemblies; drive first-pass yield and cycle-time improvement.
• Define in-process inspection and NDE strategies for bond-line integrity (e.g., visual, ultrasonic, and other approved methods) and support disposition of bonding-related nonconformances.
• Design or specify bonding fixtures, dispensing methods, vacuum bagging or pressure-application approaches, and cure tooling in partnership with Tooling & Automation.
• Support new product introduction and design changes by providing producibility input on joint design, tolerances, adhesive selection, and assembly sequence.
• Lead root-cause analysis and corrective actions for disbonds, voids, porosity, contamination, incomplete cure, or related process escapes.
• Author and maintain work instructions, travelers, cure profiles, and process documentation compliant with AS9100 and customer requirements.
• Collaborate with suppliers on adhesives, primers, surface-treatment materials, and incoming quality of bond-critical components.
• Support process qualification and production ramp at Midland, TX and the Project Ranger campus in New Mexico.

Required Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related field.

Experience:

• 6-10+ years of manufacturing engineering experience in aerospace, defense, or high-reliability bonded structures.
• 3+ years of hands-on ownership of structural bonding processes (composite bonds, metal-to-composite, elastomer-to-composite, or equivalent).
• Demonstrated success qualifying bonding processes and transitioning them from development to production.

Technical Skills

• Strong practical knowledge of structural adhesives, primers, surface preparation (mechanical, chemical, and plasma or equivalent approved methods), contamination control, and cure control.
• Experience with bond-line design considerations, fillet control, bond-line thickness, and void/porosity prevention in production settings.
• Proficiency in CAD (SolidWorks or NX), GD&T, fixture concepting, and manufacturing documentation.
• Working knowledge of PFMEA, SPC, root-cause methods (8D, fishbone), and process qualification.
• Familiarity with NDE of bonded joints and metrology used to verify bonded assemblies.
• Understanding of clean/controlled-area practices and handling requirements for bond-critical hardware.

Preferred Experience

• Direct experience bonding solid rocket motor cases, liners, insulators, nozzles, or missile composite structures.
• Background in fast-paced defense or space manufacturing environments.
• Experience with elastomer-to-composite or rubber-to-metal structural bonds.
• Prior work supporting automation of adhesive dispense, surface prep, or cure processes.
• Familiarity with AS9100, ITAR programs, and manufacturing in energetic-materials facilities.
• Track record reducing bond-related scrap, rework, or cycle time on flight hardware.

Soft Skills

• Detail-oriented, process-disciplined, and effective at enforcing contamination-control and procedure compliance.
• Strong collaboration with Design, Quality, Tooling, and production teams.
• Clear technical communication and documentation skills.
• Hands-on problem solver comfortable on the shop floor.
• Safety-first mindset when working in facilities that handle energetic materials.

Castelion offers a generous benefits package. Please refer to the bottom of our Careers page for more details.

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Additional Eligibility Requirements

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.

Affirmative Action/EEO Statement

Castelion is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Castelion is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities throughout the application and hiring process. If you require a reasonable accommodation to complete an application, participate in the interview process, or otherwise participate in the hiring process, please contact [email protected]. Requests for accommodation will be considered on an individual basis and handled in accordance with applicable law.

Castelion is committed to fostering a workplace where employment decisions are based on qualifications, business needs, and the ability to perform the essential functions of the role, with or without reasonable accommodation.

EAR/ITAR Requirements

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.

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