Lead R&D Technician - Special Processes

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, 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.  

Lead Special Processes

Castelion is seeking a Lead Special Processes to lead the development, qualification, and execution of specialized manufacturing processes for advanced aerospace and defense hardware. This is a full-time position located at our Torrance, CA facility. The Lead Special Processes Role will provide technical leadership for processes such as precision drilling, painting, mechanical assembly, fabrication, integration, coating, heat treatment, surface preparation, and other operations as applicable to the hardware. This role partners closely with engineering, manufacturing, quality, and operations to mature robust processes, develop capable teams, and deliver safe, compliant, high-quality hardware on schedule.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily special-process activities, assigning work and coordinating priorities across the process team

• Train, mentor, and provide technical direction to technicians and operators while promoting a culture of ownership, safety, quality, and procedural compliance

• Interpret and execute engineering drawings, CAD models, specifications, process standards, work instructions, travelers, and controlled procedures

• Develop, document, and oversee special processes, including bonding, sealing, welding, brazing, coating, surface preparation, heat treatment, or other process-specific operations as required

• Coordinate with design and manufacturing engineering to resolve process issues, provide producibility feedback, and implement design or process improvements

• Plan labor, materials, equipment, tooling, facilities, and work-cell readiness to maintain an efficient and predictable process flow

• Establish and verify process parameters, acceptance criteria, inspection methods, and required records in partnership with quality and engineering

• Lead process qualification, validation, first-article, and capability activities; document results and ensure compliance with applicable specifications and procedures

• Investigate nonconformances, defects, and process deviations; perform or support root-cause analysis and implement effective corrective and preventive actions

• Maintain clean, organized, and appropriately controlled work areas, including cleanroom or contamination-controlled environments when required

• Drive continuous improvement in safety, quality, throughput, repeatability, standard work, tooling, and special-process capability

Basic Qualifications

• 3+ years of hands-on experience in special processes, production and/or R&D process development, or a related field

• 1+ years of experience leading, mentoring, or coordinating the work of a special-process, manufacturing, or production team

• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, specifications, GD&T, CAD models, bills of material, work instructions, and technical documentation

• Working knowledge of process control, qualification, validation, inspection, traceability, and quality-system requirements for special processes

• Experience with one or more aerospace or high-reliability special processes, such as bonding, sealing, welding, brazing, coating, heat treatment, surface preparation, or non-destructive testing

• Ability to work effectively with engineering, quality, supply chain, and operations teams in a fast-paced research and development and production environment

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Experience developing or executing special processes for flight hardware or other safety-critical, high-reliability systems

• Experience with cleanroom or controlled-environment processing, ESD controls, FOD prevention, contamination control, or hazardous-material handling

• Experience creating or improving process specifications, work instructions, travelers, process-control plans, inspection plans, and qualification documentation

• Experience with process capability studies, statistical process control, measurement systems, and data-driven process improvement

• Experience with digital manufacturing, quality, inventory, or work-management systems and the ability to maintain accurate process records

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly communicate process status, risks, technical issues, and recommended actions

• Demonstrated judgment, attention to detail, and commitment to safe, compliant, right-first-time execution

• Ability to coach others, establish priorities, and make sound decisions in a changing, high-output environment

• Experience with lean manufacturing, root-cause analysis, corrective action, or other continuous-improvement methods

• Ability to work from incomplete information and help mature special processes from research and development through initial production

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 [email protected]. 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. 

EAR/ITAR Requirements 

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.