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. Energetics Safety Manager The Energetics Safety Manager leads Castelion's enterprise Energetics Safety Program and is responsible for establishing the policies, standards, procedures, training, and risk management framework needed to support the safe design, manufacture, storage, transportation, testing, and disposal of energetic materials. As part of the Environmental, Health & Safety organization, this role provides independent energetics safety oversight and partners with Engineering, Manufacturing, Test, Facilities, Security, Supply Chain, Quality, and Program Management to integrate safety throughout the product and operational lifecycle. The position supports and coordinates energetics safety across all Castelion locations conducting energetic operations.
Responsibilities Energetics Safety Program Lead the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of Castelion's Energetics Safety Program. Establish and maintain company-wide policies, standards, procedures, specifications, and training for energetic operations. Promote consistent practices across manufacturing, ground test, flight test, storage, transportation, and disposal activities. Incorporate lessons learned, regulatory changes, and industry practices into program improvements and the broader EHS Management System. Energetics Risk Management Develop and maintain processes for identifying, evaluating, documenting, and managing risks associated with energetic materials and operations. Lead or facilitate qualitative and quantitative hazard analyses, including PHAs, HAZOPs, FMEAs, What-If analyses, QRAs, and Quantity-Distance evaluations, as appropriate. Support facility siting, hazard classification, blast and fragmentation assessments, consequence analysis, and operational readiness activities. Partner with Engineering and Operations to develop risk reduction strategies using sound engineering principles and the hierarchy of controls. Ensure residual risks, assumptions, and required safeguards are clearly documented and elevated through the appropriate risk acceptance process. Safety Integration & Operational Support Lead the integration of energetics safety across engineering, manufacturing, and test operations without assuming ownership of technical design or operational execution. Establish standardized approaches for safely conducting energetic manufacturing, ground test, and flight test activities. Coordinate energetics safety support for major test campaigns and other high-consequence operations to ensure personnel, facilities, equipment, and safeguards are aligned. Support operations conducted at external ranges and ensure alignment with applicable customer and range safety
requirements. Engineering & Test Review Participation Represent EHS as a key stakeholder throughout the engineering and operational lifecycle. Participate in design reviews, manufacturing and production readiness reviews, operational readiness reviews, and ground and flight test readiness reviews. Evaluate whether energetics hazards, risk controls, and verification
requirements are appropriately identified and addressed before execution. Provide independent recommendations regarding energetics risk, operational safeguards, and residual risk acceptance while preserving Engineering's authority over technical design decisions. Regulatory Compliance & Governance Lead enterprise compliance with applicable energetics and explosives safety
requirements. Interpret and implement applicable DoD explosives safety standards, DoD 4145, ATF, OSHA, DOT, NFPA, and federal, state, local, customer, and range-specific
requirements. Develop compliance strategies, maintain required documentation, and support regulatory inspections, customer audits, government reviews, and explosives safety approvals. Training & Continuous Improvement Develop and maintain Castelion's Energetics Safety Training Program, including qualification and competency expectations based on operational hazards and regulatory
requirements. Lead or support investigations involving energetic materials, identify root and contributing causes, and ensure corrective and preventive actions are implemented. Integrate lessons learned into standards, procedures, training, and future design and operational reviews. Track leading and lagging indicators, identify trends, and implement improvements that strengthen safety performance and operational effectiveness Basic
Qualifications Bachelor's degree in engineering, Occupational Safety, Chemistry, Physics, or a related technical discipline. Eight or more years of progressively responsible experience supporting energetic materials or explosives operations in aerospace, defense, military, manufacturing, or another high hazard industry. Demonstrated experience developing or implementing energetics safety programs, technical standards, procedures, and operational
requirements. Experience leading or facilitating hazard analyses and risk assessments, including qualitative and quantitative methodologies such as PHAs, HAZOPs, FMEAs, What-If analyses, QRAs, and Quantity-Distance evaluations. Experience participating in multidisciplinary design reviews, readiness reviews, and high consequence test or manufacturing activities. Working knowledge of applicable DoD explosives safety
requirements, ATF regulations, OSHA, DOT hazardous materials regulations, and NFPA codes and standards. Ability to provide independent safety oversight, influence cross-functional teams, and communicate risk-based recommendations without direct operational or engineering authority. Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills Preferred Skills and Experience Experience supporting solid rocket motor manufacturing, propulsion systems, missile programs, or other energetic defense applications. Experience supporting ground and flight test operations, external government test ranges, explosives safety approvals, facility siting, or quantitative consequence modeling. Professional certification such as CSP, CIH, CHMM, or equivalent. Active Secret security clearance or the ability to obtain one. 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.
Benefits And
Perks All full-time employees are granted meaningful long-term equity, sharing in the company's significant growth trajectory. We offer four (4) weeks of paid time off, ten (10) company-paid holidays, and comprehensive health
benefits - including 100% employee-covered medical and strong dependent coverage, along with dental and vision plans. We also provide paid parental leave to support growing families, a $100 monthly fitness stipend to promote health and performance, and onsite EV charging for convenience. In addition, employees enjoy
perks like catered meals, company-covered food during high-demand periods, and a fully stocked kitchen to stay fueled throughout the day. While this position does not currently require a U.S government-issued security clearance, it may in the near future. Therefore, the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government–issued security clearance is required. U.S. citizenship is required, as only U.S. citizens are eligible for a security clearance. 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.
About Castelion
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.
