Senior Quality Specialist

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 design, build, and test next generation weapon systems to give America and its Allies a definitive edge in defense capabilities.

Senior Quality Specialist

We are seeking a Quality Specialist to support development and implementation of our quality management system (QMS), reporting directly to the Quality Manager. This is a hybrid role that combines hands-on inspection responsibilities with process and systems development. You'll play a key part in establishing our quality framework to achieve AS9100 certification, assisting engineering in developing inspection methods, and ensuring consistent product quality through effective inspection methods and tools.

Responsibilities

• Perform receiving inspections on machined, mechanical, electronic, and sub-assembly components to verify conformance to drawings and specifications.
• Program and operate CMM and Portable CMM (Hexagon Arm), using PC-DMIS or PolyWorks, to execute dimensional inspections.
• Support the establishment of quality processes and documentation aligned with AS9100 requirements.
• Assist in the creation of inspection plans, including determining appropriate measurement methods, devices, and acceptance criteria.
• Collaborate with engineering and manufacturing teams to ensure inspection methods align with design intent and manufacturability.
• Contribute to supplier quality assurance by supporting incoming inspection standards and supplier feedback.
• Participate in continuous improvement initiatives to drive efficiency, accuracy, and compliance in quality operations.
• Perform vendor and subcontractor quality evaluations, including audits and supplier assessments to ensure materials and parts meet defined quality specifications before acceptance.
• Facilitate internal and external audits, including regulatory or customer audits; prepare required documentation and act as liaison during quality reviews or inspections.
• Provide training and guidance to production and operations staff on quality procedures, best practices, and quality awareness.

Requirements and Skills

• 3+ years of experience in a quality role within aerospace, defense, or high-precision and volume manufacturing.
• Hands-on experience with CMM programming (PC-DMIS or PolyWorks).
• Working knowledge of inspection tools and metrology (calipers, micrometers, height gauges, laser trackers, etc.).
• Familiarity with AS9100 or ISO 9001 quality systems.
• Strong ability to interpret engineering drawings, GD&T, and technical specifications.
• Comfortable in a startup environment - able to balance hands-on work with process development.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting AS9100 certification efforts from early stages.
• Knowledge of defense/aerospace manufacturing standards and customer compliance requirements.
• Familiarity with nonconformance reporting, corrective actions, and supplier quality processes.
• Experience supporting Measurement System Analysis.

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 at Castelion. All employees receive access to comprehensive medical, vision, and dental insurance, and the company offers four weeks of paid time off per year.