Manager, Tooling Engineering

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Manager, Tooling Engineering

Torrance, CA

• LA Manufacturing - R&D

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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.

Manager, Tooling Engineering

Solid Rocket Motors - Aerospace & Defense

Position Overview

We are seeking a Manager of Tooling Engineering to lead the design, qualification, and sustainment of manufacturing tooling for Castelion's solid rocket motor and hypersonic hardware production. This role owns the tooling engineering function supporting composite case fabrication, liner and insulator application, nozzle and closure assembly, structural bonding, sheet-metal forming, motor integration, and related process tooling. You will build and lead a team of tooling engineers who deliver safe, repeatable fixtures, jigs, holding tools, and process tooling that enable high-yield development and high-rate production for programs including Blackbeard. You will partner closely with Manufacturing Engineering, Automation & Controls, Quality, Design, and Site Operations while serving as the technical authority for tooling standards and capability across development and production sites.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the tooling engineering team, including priorities, technical direction, hiring, mentoring, and performance.
• Own the design, review, and qualification of process tooling, fixtures, jigs, holding tools, and assembly aids for SRM hardware (cases, liners, nozzles, closures, bonded joints, formed metal, and integration).
• Establish and enforce tooling design standards, documentation practices, drawing packages, and configuration control.
• Drive Design for Manufacturability and Design for Tooling input into new product introduction and design changes.
• Partner with Manufacturing Engineering and Automation & Controls on work-cell concepts, fixture interfaces, and semi-automated or automated tooling solutions.
• Oversee tooling qualification, first-article tryouts, process capability assessments, and production release.
• Manage tooling maintenance, spare-parts strategy, life tracking, and continuous improvement of existing tooling.
• Coordinate with suppliers and internal machine shops on tooling fabrication, materials, and lead times.
• Ensure tooling designs support safety, contamination control, and compliance requirements in energetic-materials facilities.
• Support facility ramp and production scaling at Midland, TX and the Project Ranger campus in New Mexico.
• Report tooling readiness, risk, cost, and schedule metrics to senior manufacturing leadership.

Required Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or related field required. Master's degree preferred.

Experience:

• 8+ years of tooling design or manufacturing engineering experience in aerospace, defense, or complex composite/precision assembly.
• 3+ years leading engineers or serving as a technical lead on tooling programs.
• Demonstrated success designing and releasing production tooling for composite structures, bonded assemblies, or propulsion hardware.

Technical Skills

• Strong proficiency in 3D CAD (SolidWorks or NX) for fixture and tooling design.
• Experience with GD&T, tolerance stack-up, fixture concepting, and manufacturing documentation.
• Working knowledge of composite layup/winding fixtures, bonding fixtures, machining fixtures, and assembly tooling.
• Familiarity with tooling materials, surface treatments, and design for wear, cleanability, and maintainability.
• Ability to interface with automation systems and understand work-cell constraints.
• Understanding of aerospace quality systems (AS9100) and configuration control.

Preferred Experience

• Direct tooling experience on solid rocket motor cases, nozzles, liners, or missile composite structures.
• Background in fast-paced defense or space manufacturing environments.
• Experience scaling tooling from development to high-rate production.
• Prior people leadership of a tooling or fixture design team.
• Familiarity with ITAR programs, classified manufacturing, and energetic-materials facilities.
• Track record reducing tooling-related scrap, cycle time, or changeover time.

Soft Skills

• Proven ability to lead and develop tooling engineers while retaining technical credibility.
• Strong collaboration with Manufacturing, Automation, Design, and Operations teams.
• Clear communication of technical risk, schedule, and cost to leadership.
• Hands-on problem-solving mindset and attention to process discipline.
• Safety-first approach in facilities that handle energetic materials.

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.

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