Manager, Development Test

Manager, Development Test

Torrance, California, United States

About the Job Manager, Development Test

Castelion is rapidly developing and delivering advanced defense systems at a time when execution and technical excellence matter more than ever. We move fast, focus hard, and build real capabilitynot just concepts. This is a rare opportunity to join at an early stage where your work will directly shape critical systems, influence major technical decisions, and have immediate real-world impact.

Role Overview

The Manager, Development Test leads R&D testing in a fast-paced development environment to reduce hardware development time and increase reliability. You own the test strategy, 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.
• Comfort in high-rate development or rapid prototyping environments.
• Proficiency with automation tools (Python, LabVIEW, JIRA, DEWESoft, etc.).
• Exposure to the physics of failure analysis and reliability engineering.

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.