Principal Build Reliability Engineer

Castelion Corporation
Torrance, CA
On-site

Who this role is best for

Aimed at senior-level engineering professionals with aerospace or manufacturing backgrounds who can lead quality initiatives and drive process improvements through data analysis and collaboration.

Best fit for

  • Candidates with aerospace or manufacturing engineering experience and a track record in quality assurance and process improvement
    — “Bachelor's or advanced degree in aerospace engineering, manufacturing engineering, materials engineering, mechanical engineering or physics.”
  • Individuals who have led root cause analysis and corrective action investigations in high-stakes environments
    — “Leads, facilitates, and participates in root cause investigations in their respective area”
  • Candidates who can translate design intent into clear, objective inspection and test criteria for production teams
    — “Develop and maintains engineering walk down criteria for major product milestones to provide clear guidance to Production on engineering intent and acceptance criteria”

Things to consider

  • The role demands a strong focus on product reliability and risk mitigation as a primary responsibility
    — “Responsible for ensuring that issues related to product reliability are primary focus”
  • Candidates must be prepared to coordinate with multiple teams, including design, production, and quality assurance
    — “Actively represent quality objectives in design and development teams”

How to stand out

  • Highlight experience with design for manufacturability and statistical tools like MSA and PFMEA in your resume and interviews
    — “Knowledge of quality tools such as Lean principles, Six Sigma, Root Cause Analysis and Corrective Action, Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP), Metrology, Process Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (PFMEA), Control Plans”
  • Emphasize your ability to lead first build reviews and drive transparency in design and manufacturing processes
    — “Co-ordinates, schedules and facilitates objective First Build Reviews to ensure transparency of design intent, design requirements, design and manufacturing risks, and manufacturability of design”
  • Showcase your history of implementing poka-yoke solutions to prevent product verification issues
    — “Propose solutions to remove the need to verify product conformance through measurement, e.g. poka-yoke”
Pace · SteadyCollaboration · MediumAutonomy · MediumDecision Impact · Team

Derived from job-description analysis by Serendipath's career intelligence engine.

What success looks like

  • design for quality
  • inspection planning
  • manufacturing quality improvements
Typical background
manufacturingquality assurance

Skills & requirements

Required

Manufacturing QualityDesign For ManufacturabilityInspection Process Development

Preferred

Defense SystemsBuild Reliability

Stack & domain

Manufacturing QualityDesign For ManufacturabilityInspection PlanningMeasurement Systems AnalysisDefense SystemsManufacturing

About the role

Original posting from Castelion Corporation via Greenhouse

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.  

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.

Principal Build Reliability Engineer

Castelion is seeking a Build Reliability Engineer to ensure the reliability of flight components and assemblies. This individual will evaluate product and process output data to drive improvements in manufacturing quality and actively represent quality objectives in design and development teams.

Responsibilities

This individual will evaluate product and process output data to drive improvements in manufacturing quality, and actively represent quality objectives in design and development teams

Design for Manufacture

Participating in Preliminary Design Review (PDR) / Critical Design Review (CDR) to ensure design for quality (DFQ), design for manufacturability (DFM), risk quantification and mitigation, and that appropriate test validation methods and inspection techniques, including nondestructive evaluation methods, have been considered

Hands-on development of design for manufacturability through ensuring identification of key characteristics, prototype testing for manufacturability, First Article and Detailed Inspection planning, evaluation of previous non-conformances and lessons learned, and other manufacturing and quality tools as required

Inspection and Test Process Development

Leads inspection planning for new products through identification of features and gages, and integration with planned operations

Designs or procures new measurement methods as required and integrates with existing processes

Validates new and existing measurement and tests methods using process capability and measurement systems analysis (MSA) statistical tools

Propose solutions to remove the need to verify product conformance through measurement, e.g. poka-yoke

First Build Reviews and Walk downs

Co-ordinates, schedules and facilitates objective First Build Reviews to ensure transparency of design intent, design requirements, design and manufacturing risks, and manufacturability of design

Develop and maintains engineering walk down criteria for major product milestones to provide clear guidance to Production on engineering intent and acceptance criteria

Identifies photo closeout requirements for complete as-built documentation

Evaluates and analyzes production quality landscape

Uses data to make landscape transparent and drive project prioritization

Responsible for ensuring that issues related to product reliability are primary focus

Drives achievement of quality targets through a review hierarchy with appropriate levels of management

Ensure controls in place to prevent recurrence

Root Cause and Corrective Action Investigations

Leads, facilitates, and participates in root cause investigations in their respective area

Deep dives using appropriate quality or analysis tools as required

Ensures documentation of cause and corrective action is captured appropriately

Ensures appropriate actions to prevent recurrence

Containment

Leads activity to support containment of all suspect products

Provides guidance to quality inspectors, techs, and shop supervisors to assist in quarantining of all suspected products

Communicate status of evaluation and disposition to production leadership on a regular basis

Issue Ticket Review/Audit/Closure

Supports review of all issue tickets in respective areas

Ensures rationale and documentation of design deviation is captured

Leads and coordinates the management of non-conforming hardware

Review of Engineering Masters (EM), Work Order (WO) instructions and drawings

Reviews and approves Engineering Orders (EO's), Engineering Masters (EM's), Work Orders (WO's), specifications, and product introduction and documentation for completeness, accuracy, regulatory compliance, and quality objectives

Validates that drawing captures all requirements needed to build and inspect hardware

Develop Inspection plans and modifies as required for process or design changes

Ensures inspection/test criteria are objective with clear pass/fail criteria

Production Process Audit/Improvement

Assesses new processes for safety and product risks

Ensures adherence to QMS policy and procedures within their work center

Develop criteria and builds audits to identify process weaknesses

Basic Qualifications

Bachelor's or advanced degree in aerospace engineering, manufacturing engineering, materials engineering, mechanical engineering or physics.

Minimum 5+ years in a quality, manufacturing, or design engineering role

Preferred Skills and Experience

Experience supporting production of complex electro-mechanical, mechanical, or composites systems in high volume work centers and/or during production ramp-up.

Knowledge of quality tools such as Lean principles, Six Sigma, Root Cause Analysis and Corrective Action, Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP), Metrology, Process Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (PFMEA), Control Plans, and various problem-solving approaches.

Dedicated to adopting a Lean approach to quality without compromising safety or reliability.

Benefits And Perks

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 health and financial resilience, we offer FSA and HSA options that allow employees to set aside pre-tax dollars for eligible medical and dependent care expenses

Retirement: 401k plan offered to support long term financial growth along side high-impact, high-velocity work

Paid Parental Leave: We support growing families with meaningful time to bond and recover. Birthing parents are eligible for up to 10 weeks of paid leave, while non-birthing parents may take up to 4 weeks of paid leave. This time can be used for pre-natal care, pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical needs—ensuring every parent has the support they need during this important life moment.8-weeks of paid parental leave for all parents. Additional paid pregnancy leave for CA employees

Meals & Catering: Frequently catered lunches and team meals, plus company-covered meals when extra time or effort is required

Snacks & Beverages: Fully stocked kitchen with unlimited snacks and drinks to keep you fueled throughout the day

Performance & Fitness: $100 monthly fitness stipend to support peak performance and health, both inside and outside of work

EV Charging: Onsite electric vehicle charging available for employees

Physical Demands

Must be willing to work extended hours and/or weekends as needed

Must be able to travel up to 30%

Must be able to lift more than 50lbs

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.

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. Failure to obtain or maintain any required clearance or authorization may result in reassignment, leave, or separation from employment, consistent with business needs and applicable law.

Affirmative Action/EEO Statement

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.

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.

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 hr@castelion.com. 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. 

Source: Castelion Corporation careers (Greenhouse)

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