Manufacturing Engineer, Harnessing

Manufacturing Engineer, Harnessing

Torrance, California, United States

About the Job

Castelion is bringing a new approach to defense development and production: one that focuses on short, iterative design cycles, rapid testing in development, and modern commercial manufacturing strategies for production at scale. We're designing, building, and testing next generation long range strike weapons systems to give America and its Allies a definitive edge and deter future conflicts.

Manufacturing Engineer, Harnessing

Castelion is seeking a Manufacturing Engineer to lead the development and implementation of manufacturing processes for wiring harnesses, cable assemblies, interconnect systems, and associated test plans. This role will support both in-house and supplier fabrication and test activities as we transition designs from prototype to scaled production in support of next-generation defense systems.

Key Outcomes for 2026

• Establish In-House Harness Fabrication Capability – define, document, and implement procedures, tooling standards, work instructions, and process flows for harness fabrication and validation.
• Establish & Qualify a Supply Chain for Prototype and Production Harness Fabrication – identify, evaluate, and onboard supplier partners for harness fabrication and test that align with part complexity, lead time needs, and quality/risk requirements. Define supplier qualification criteria (capability matrices, certifications, workmanship standards, test coverage, inspection tools) and establish supplier audits, capability studies, and baseline process validations.
• Deliver All Harness Assemblies On-Time with Zero Defects – drive, track, and report build execution for all harnessing to meet development, test, and qualification milestones. Establish and enforce key quality checkpoints to detect and resolve assembly, continuity, or functional defects before delivery to integration.

Responsibilities

• Assembly & Test Procedure – create and maintain work instructions, bill of materials (BOM/MBOM), harness assembly flows, test plans, fixture/tooling specifications, and manufacturing process documentation for prototype and production harness builds.
• Supplier Development & Support – partner with supply chain to qualify and develop external harness fabrication partners, define quality/test criteria (continuity, insulation, functional, hi-pot), and support supplier readiness for production builds.
• Prototype to Production Transition – support design reviews with a focus on design for manufacturability (DFM), design for test (DFT), connector selection, harness routing, and supplier handoff readiness. Facilitate risk analysis and manufacturing readiness reviews (MRRs).
• Testing & Validation – develop and implement harness test procedures and systems for continuity, insulation resistance, high-pot/functional verification, environmental screening when required, and test data analysis.
• Continuous Improvement & Metrics – drive yield improvement, throughput gains, defect reduction, and cost optimization through Lean and CI methodologies.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Bachelors degree in mechanical, Electrical, Manufacturing, or related Engineering discipline.
• 3+ years of experience in manufacturing engineering with emphasis on wiring harness/cable assembly processes, fabrication, and test.
• Strong familiarity with harness standards (crimping, routing, strain relief techniques), electrical continuity/functional test methods, and assembly best practices.
• Hands-on experience developing manufacturing processes and work instructions for electromechanical hardware.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Must be authorized to work in the U.S. and comply with ITAR eligibility requirements.

Leadership Qualities

• Bias to Action and Creative Problem Solving. Desire and experience questioning assumptions in ways that lead to break through ideas that are ultimately implemented. Successfully bring in applicable processes/concepts/materials from other industries to achieve efficiency gains. Ability to personally resolve minor issues in development without requiring significant support.
• High Commitment, High Initiative. A successful candidate will have a genuine passion for Castelion's mission and consistently look for ways to contribute to the company's technical goals and prevent hardware blockers. Ability to work in a fast paced, autonomously driven, and demanding atmosphere. Strong sense of accountability and integrity.
• Clear Communicator. Proactively communicates blockers. Trusted in previous roles to be voice of company with regulators, suppliers, gate keepers and customers. Capable of tactfully managing relationships with stakeholders to achieve company-desired outcomes without compromising relationships. Emails, IMs and verbal interactions are logical, drive clarity, and detailed enough to eliminate ambiguity.

ITAR Requirements

• To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Employment with Castelion is governed on the basis of competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

All employees are granted long-term stock incentives as part of their employment at Castelion. All employees receive access to comprehensive medical, vision, and dental insurance, and the company offers four weeks of paid time off per year.