Manufacturing Engineer, Chemical Vapor Deposition

Why Castelion, Why Now

Castelion is moving incredibly fast to develop and deliver advanced defense systems at a time when execution matters more than ever. We believe focus and technical excellence are decisive advantages - and we are building a team that can deliver real capability, not 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.

Castelion is seeking a highly motivated Manufacturing Engineer to support development, operation, and scale-up of our chemical vapor deposition (CVD) manufacturing systems. This role is focused on building, modifying, troubleshooting, and operating production equipment used to manufacture ceramic matrix composite (CMC) materials for high-performance thermal protection systems.

This is a hands‑on engineering role for someone who enjoys working directly with hardware. The ideal candidate has experience designing, building, testing, and troubleshooting mechanical systems through internships, manufacturing experience, Formula SAE, Baja SAE, rocketry, robotics, motorsports, machine shop projects, or other highly hands‑on engineering programs.

The successful candidate will spend significant time on the production floor working with reactor systems, tooling, instrumentation, and manufacturing equipment while partnering with materials, design, and production teams to improve reliability, throughput, and manufacturability.

• Design, build, assemble, and test modifications to CVD reactor systems and supporting equipment.
• Support daily reactor operations, development testing, and manufacturing activities.
• Troubleshoot mechanical, electrical, vacuum, thermal, and process-related equipment issues.
• Perform and coordinate preventative and corrective maintenance activities to maximize equipment uptime.
• Collect and analyze test and production data to drive equipment and process improvements.
• Develop manufacturing work instructions, standard operating procedures (SOPs), maintenance procedures, and nonconformance documentation.
• Support installation, commissioning, and qualification of new manufacturing equipment.
• Work closely with technicians and engineers to rapidly identify and resolve production issues.
• Execute engineering projects from concept through implementation in a fast‑paced development environment.

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or related field.
• Demonstrated hands‑on engineering experience designing, building, testing, or troubleshooting hardware.
• Comfortable using hand tools, power tools, measurement equipment, and basic fabrication equipment.
• Strong mechanical aptitude and ability to diagnose and solve equipment problems.
• Ability to work independently in a fast‑paced manufacturing environment.
• Willingness to work off‑shift hours when required to support testing or production operations.

• Formula SAE, Baja SAE, collegiate rocketry, robotics competition, motorsports, machine shop, or equivalent hands‑on engineering experience.
• Experience with vacuum systems, thermal processing equipment, furnaces, reactors, or other industrial equipment.
• Experience with CAD design, mechanical fabrication, and engineering drawings.
• Experience supporting manufacturing equipment, automation systems, or production operations.
• Familiarity with root cause analysis, process improvement, and equipment reliability methodologies.

• Employee Equity:
  Meaningful equity for all full‑time employees - share value has increased 150x in three years
• Personal Time Off:
  Four (4) weeks of paid time off to unplug, reset, and come back sharp—velocity matters, burnout doesn't
• Company Paid Holidays:
  Ten (10) company paid holidays
• Medical:
  We offer plans at 100% employee covered and 80% of dependent coverage
• Dental & Vision:
  We cover 90% employees and 80% for dependents to ensure you and your family have access to quality preventive and ongoing care
• FSA/HSA:
  To support long‑term…