Director of Manufacturing

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.

Director of Manufacturing

We're seeking a Director of Manufacturing to lead our Rio Rancho based manufacturing operations — our modern Arsenal of Democracy — delivering hypersonic capability at scale to deter future conflicts. In this pivotal leadership role, you will build and lead a world‑class manufacturing operation, pushing for innovation and operational excellence that positions us as the nation's premier hypersonic producer.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute strategy to scale all Rio Rancho based production including solid rocket motor manufacturing, integration, and test and validation (HITL/VITL) from prototype to scaled production
• Recruit, train/develop, and scale a diverse, high performing 250+ employee manufacturing team (technicians, leaders, and manufacturing engineers)
• Support the implementation and refinement of production software systems and tools (MES, ERP, PLM, etc)
• Oversee day-to-day production and manufacturing operations — including production scheduling, capacity planning, resource allocation, inventory and supply‑chain coordination, materials flow, and facility/equipment management
• Forecast and manage operational and capital expenditures.
• Develop, implement, and refine KPIs to measure performance.
• Lead continuous process development and improvement efforts to optimize yield, throughput, manufacturing cost, and production reliability across all production lines
• Establish and maintain a culture that prioritizes safety, quality, speed and continuous improvement.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelors degree in Engineering
• 10+ years in production/manufacturing operations or manufacturing engineering
• 5+ years in production/operations leadership
• Demonstrated success in scaling a production operation from development/prototype to high volume production
• Deep understanding of high‑precision, complex aerospace hardware production — including metallic and composite fabrication, machining/welding/additive, tight‑tolerance assembly, avionics, testing and acceptance, and NDE.
• Skilled at interpreting raw data, identifying trends or anomalies, and translating findings into clear, data‑informed strategies.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, mentor, and develop a high‑performing, cross‑functional team — including production staff, manufacturing engineers, quality, supply‑chain, and operations personnel — with emphasis on building culture, accountability, and continuous improvement
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and cross‑functional collaboration skills to interface with engineering, quality, supply‑chain, leadership, and possibly external partners or customers.
• Demonstrated commitment to safety, quality, and compliance

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Comfort operating in a fast‑paced, high‑stakes, high‑reliability environment typical of aerospace/defense startups — able to make decisions under ambiguity, handle programmatic/contract demands, and adapt as priorities shift
• Experience with manufacturing execution systems (MES/ERP/PLM), production data systems, material resource planning (MRP), and digital manufacturing workflows to manage operations, quality, change control, and configuration
• Strong background in manufacturing engineering practices, operations excellence, and continuous improvement methodologies (e.g., Lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, process optimization, DFM/DFA, production flow and layout planning, tooling and automation)
• Deep knowledge of aerospace manufacturing standards and regulatory frameworks (e.g., AS9100, NADCAP, applicable military/defense manufacturing standards), including quality management, audit readiness, compliance, and export‑control/ITAR requirements
• Extensive leadership experience (10–15+ years) in aerospace, defense, or high‑complexity manufacturing, including several years at the sr. manager or director level leading cross‑functional teams
• Demonstrated experience with manufacturing or production of energetic materials or systems — including propellants, explosives, pyrotechnics, or related energetic payloads — with deep understanding of safety, process control, and qualification requirements

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.

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.