Senior Propulsion & Ordnance Engineer

Rio Rancho, United States | Posted on 08/06/2026 Castelion was founded to restore America’s ability to field advanced weapons at speed and scale. Inspired by the engineering urgency of the WWII and Apollo eras, we combine rapid iteration, vertical integration, and scalable manufacturing to deliver affordable, high-performance strike systems. Our mission: rebuild industrial agility to strengthen national security and outpace evolving threats. About the Role: 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 Employee Equity: Meaningful equity forall full-time employees - share value has increased 150x in three years Personal Time Off: Four (4) weeks of paidtime off to unplug, reset, and come back sharp—velocity matters,burnout doesn't Medical: We offer plans at 100% employeecovered and 80% of dependent coverage Dental & Vision: We cover 90%employees and 80% for dependents to ensure you and your family haveaccess to quality preventive and ongoing care FSA/HSA: To support long-term health andfinancial resilience, we offer FSA and HSA options that allowemployees to set aside pre-tax dollars for eligible medical anddependent care expenses Retirement: 401k plan offered to supportlong term financial growth along side high-impact, high-velocity work Paid Parental Leave: We support growingfamilies with meaningful time to bond and recover. Birthing parentsare eligible for up to 10 weeks of paid leave, while non-birthingparents may take up to 4 weeks of paid leave. This time can be usedfor pre-natal care, pregnancy, childbirth, and related medicalneeds—ensuring every parent has the support they need during thisimportant life moment.8-weeks of paid parental leave for allparents. Additional paid pregnancy leave for CA employees Meals & Catering: Frequently cateredlunches and team meals, plus company-covered meals when extra timeor effort is required Snacks & Beverages: Fully stockedkitchen with unlimited snacks and drinks to keep you fueledthroughout the day Performance & Fitness: $100 monthlyfitness stipend to support peak performance and health, both insideand outside of work EV Charging: Onsite electric vehiclecharging available for employees #J-18808-Ljbffr STEM Boomerang