Test Engineer

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.

We are seeking a Senior Test Engineer to lead testing activities for solid rocket motors (SRM) and integrated hypersonic strike vehicles s role is responsible for developing and executing test plans for static fire testing, environmental qualification, functional verification, and flight test support. You will work hands-on with propulsion hardware, instrumentation, data acquisition systems, and test infrastructure while ensuring the highest standards of safety, data quality, and mission success.

Partnering closely with Propulsion, Manufacturing, Integration & Test, and Design teams, you will drive test readiness for prototype, qualification, and production hardware on aggressive development timelines for programs like Blackbeard.

• Develop our SRM testing process at our site in Midland, Texas and produce data to help inform SRM design
• Design and deliver fully qualified test stands to support testing our products
• Deliver a fully validated testing procedure for our facility in Rio Rancho, New Mexico to enable rapid testing and iteration

• Lead the development of comprehensive test plans, procedures, and requirements for SRM static fires, environmental testing (vibration, thermal, shock, humidity), functional checkout, and vehicle-level integration testing.
• Design, commission, and operate test fixtures, instrumentation setups, and data acquisition systems for thrust, pressure, temperature, vibration, and other critical parameters.
• Execute and oversee static fire tests, environmental stress screening, and other qualification tests, ensuring safe operations with energetic materials and high-consequence hardware.
• Perform real-time test monitoring, data reduction, analysis, and reporting; identify anomalies and lead root-cause investigations with cross-functional teams.
• Support flight test campaigns, including pre-flight checkout, range coordination, telemetry monitoring, and post-flight data analysis.
• Drive continuous improvement in test processes, safety protocols, and efficiency while integrating automation and digital tools for data capture and analysis.
• Collaborate with Manufacturing and Propulsion on testability, design-for-test feedback, and hardware maturation from prototype to rate production.
• Author and maintain test documentation, safety plans, and compliance records in accordance with DoD, range safety, and energetic materials standards.
• Mentor junior test engineers and contribute to building robust test capabilities at Castelion facilities and partner ranges.
• Manage test schedules, resources, and interfaces with internal teams, suppliers, and external test ranges.

Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related field.

Experience:

• 6-10+ years of test engineering experience in aerospace or defense, with at least 3+ years focused on propulsion, solid rocket motors, or missile systems testing.
• Proven track record developing and executing complex test programs from component through system level, including energetic or hazardous testing.