Manager, Development Test Torrance, CA Test Engineering

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.

Manager, Development Test

The Manager, Development Testleads R&D testing in a fast-paced development environment to reduce hardware development time and increase reliability. You own the teststrategy, build/operate test systems, lead a growing team, and drive clear visibility into testing progress across the company.

Responsibilities

• Build, lead, and mentor a high-performing team of 4-7 engineers and technicians.
• Design, build, train and operate test systems from concept through execution (01 development).
• Own the R&D development test strategy across structural, dynamic, functional, and environmental domains.
• Maintain a daily updated companywide dashboard with visibility into testing progress and priorities to balance speed, rigor, and resources.
• Drive tests to failure and identify primary and secondary failure modes.
• Manage multiple parallel test campaigns with effective prioritization and ownership.
• Maintain and improve test infrastructure, lab capabilities, and external resources.
• Set a culture and practice of safety

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, Electrical Engineering, or related field.
• 8+ years of hands-on hardware testing, prototyping, lab-based engineering, and project management experience.
• Strong familiarity with instrumentation, sensors, and data acquisition systems.
• Demonstrated experience leading and growing engineering and technician teams and driving cross-functional execution.
• Experience writing technical reports, procedures, and building test result capture frameworks.
• Demonstrated capability to evaluate system-level risk and develop test strategies that are aligned with and approved by the customer.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Background in structural or reliability testing in aerospace, automotive, or related industries.
• Proficiency with automation tools (Python, LabVIEW, JIRA, DEWESoft, etc.).
• Exposure to the physics of failure analysis and reliability engineering.

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 View email address on click.appcast.io. 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.

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.