About Castelion Castelion is bringing a new approach to defense development and production: one that focuses on short, iterative design cycles, rapid testing in development, and modern commercial manufacturing strategies for production at scale. We're designing, building, and testing next generation long range strike weapons systems to give America and its Allies a definitive edge and deter future conflicts. Avionics R&D Tech II/Senior (PCBA) Castelion is looking for an Avionics PCBA Technician, reporting to the Manager, R&D Operations, to support the development and production of systems required for long-range hypersonic strike vehicles. This will be a full-time, non-exempt position located in our Torrance, California facility. As an Avionics PCBA Technician, you will work closely with engineering and manufacturing teams to execute electrical and electro-mechanical builds in support of development and production activities. This role is focused on hands-on assembly, rework, testing, and hardware integration while supporting manufacturing processes, documentation, and continuous improvement efforts.
Responsibilities Perform PCBA soldering and rework, including installation of jumpers and component replacement as required Build wire harnesses, cable assemblies, PCBAs, electro-mechanical units, and test equipment Assemble, integrate, and test avionics hardware and support equipment Execute manufacturing and test processes according to work instructions, drawings, and engineering documentation Support development builds, prototype builds, and transition into initial production Assist with setup and maintenance of tooling, fixtures, and manufacturing equipment Read and interpret schematics, wiring diagrams, assembly drawings, and controlled documentation Identify build issues and escalate discrepancies to engineering or manufacturing leadership Support process improvement initiatives focused on quality, repeatability, and efficiency Maintain a clean, organized, and ESD-compliant work environment Monitor work progress against schedules and support production priorities as needed Basic
Qualifications 2+ years of avionics technician, electronics manufacturing, or related hands-on assembly experience Experience reading electrical schematics and wiring harness drawings Experience performing soldering and PCBA rework Experience working with IPC-610 and IPC-620 standards Familiarity with avionics, electrical, or electro-mechanical assembly processes Ability to follow work instructions, engineering drawings, and controlled documentation Strong attention to detail and workmanship quality Experience working in an ESD-controlled manufacturing environment Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced development and production environment Preferred Skills and Experience Experience in aerospace, defense, or other highly regulated industries Experience performing rework on fine-pitch or high-density PCBAs Experience building flight hardware, prototype hardware, or test systems Familiarity with manufacturing documentation and configuration-controlled environments Experience supporting engineering development builds and rapid iteration efforts Familiarity with Atlassian tools such as JIRA and Confluence Basic understanding of electronic troubleshooting and diagnostics Strong communication and teamwork skills Ability to adapt to changing priorities and evolving hardware designs Additional
Requirements Must be willing to work extended hours and/or weekends as needed Must be able to travel up to 20% of the time Leadership Qualities Bias to Action and Creative Problem Solving . Desire and experience questioning assumptions in ways that lead to break through ideas that are ultimately implemented. Successfully bring in applicable processes/concepts/materials from other industries to achieve efficiency gains. Ability to personally resolve minor issues in development without requiring significant support. High Commitment, High Initiative . A successful candidate will have a genuine passion for Castelion's mission and consistently look for ways to contribute to the company's technical goals and prevent hardware blockers. Ability to work in a fast paced, autonomously driven, and demanding atmosphere. Strong sense of accountability and integrity. Clear Communicator. Proactively communicates blockers. Trusted in previous roles to be voice of company with regulators, suppliers, gate keepers and customers. Capable of tactfully managing relationships with stakeholders to achieve company-desired outcomes without compromising relationships. Emails, IMs and verbal interactions are logical, drive clarity, and detailed enough to eliminate ambiguity. 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. 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. All employees are granted long-term stock incentives as part of their employment as Castelion. All employees receive access to comprehensive medical, vision, and dental insurance, and the company offers four weeks of paid time off per year.
Castelion is a modern defense production company building long-range hypersonic strike systems to address a critical national security gap. Founded in 2021, Castelion was created in response to the recognized need for the United States to rapidly develop hypersonic capabilities to remain competitive with near-peer adversaries and deter future conflicts.
The company operates under the philosophy of "Peace through Deterrence" — building the weapons systems that ensure conflicts never need to happen. Castelion is one of the few companies in the hypersonics space that has moved beyond concepts to actual production deliverables, with government contracts across multiple branches of the military and a $23M+ Navy order for 50 units in calendar year 2027.
Backed by over $469M in funding from top-tier investors including Andreessen Horowitz, Lightspeed Venture Partners, and General Catalyst, Castelion is scaling rapidly. The company is building what it anticipates will become the preeminent hypersonics campus in the country — including a $150M, 1,000-acre solid rocket motor manufacturing facility in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, alongside its headquarters in Torrance, California.
Castelion's culture is defined by technical excellence, ownership, and velocity. Engineers own meaningful subsystems on the vehicle and are responsible for driving their success. The company follows a responsible engineering model inspired by SpaceX, where individuals choose the highest-value work and are empowered to cultivate resources and partnerships to deliver results. The engineering bar is exceptionally high — attracting elite talent who want to be surrounded by other elite talent.
Salary
$110,000 - $200,000
Location
Torrance, California
Experience
2+ years
Total raised
$464.0M
Last stage
Growth
Investors
No applications, no recruiter spam. Just the intro.
A few questions to make sure this role is the right shape for you. Two minutes.
I write the intro, send it to the founder, and handle the back-and-forth.
If they’re a yes, I book the chat. You show up — that’s the whole job-hunt.