Program Manager Jobs in Fountain Valley, CA (NOW HIRING)

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.

As a Strike Weapon Program Manager, you will lead the execution of advanced hypersonic weapon programs from initial concept through delivery, serving as the primary interface with U.S. Government customers and internal engineering teams. You will own program schedules, contractual commitments, and mission success, driving efforts from proposal through design, integration, flight test, and fielding.

This is a hands-on program leadership role in a rapidly evolving startup environment where you will be tasked to lead multiple ongoing programs of varying sizes and complexity. You will operate at the intersection of engineering, program management, and customer engagement, ensuring that Castelion's weapon systems meet the needs of our customers.

• Program Leadership: Serve as the primary customer interface, ensuring alignment between mission requirements and Castelion's technology roadmap.
• Program Execution: Manage cost, schedule, and technical performance from contract award through integration, test, and deployment, delivering on all contractual milestones.
• Proposal & Contract Management: Lead proposal efforts and contract negotiations, ensuring technical feasibility, cost effectiveness, and compliance with FAR/DFARS requirements.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with engineering to translate mission needs into product requirements, guide design reviews, and manage technical or contractual changes.
• Customer Engagement: Lead program reviews, present technical and schedule briefings, negotiate requirements, and maintain strong relationships with government stakeholders.
• Risk Management: Identify program risks early, develop mitigation plans, and maintain schedule fidelity under aggressive timelines.
• Strategic Development: Shape new opportunities and architectures by collaborating with government and industry partners to inform future hypersonic strike capabilities.

• Bachelors degree in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related technical field.
• Excellent communication and technical writing skills, including preparation of CDRLs and technical data packages.
• 8+ years of experience in aerospace, defense, or national security programs.
• Proven track record of excellence and achievement.
• Deep familiarity with USG programs, acquisitions, and operational concepts.
• Strong understanding of U.S. Government acquisition processes, contracting, and operational concepts.
• Demonstrated success managing complex, multi-disciplinary engineering programs to cost and schedule.
• U.S. citizenship with the ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret/SCI clearance.

• Experience in a fast-moving environment with compressed timelines.
• Familiarity with government acquisition processes, requirements decomposition, and systems verification.
• Familiarity with rapid prototyping, OTA contracts, and accelerated development environments.
• Active Top Secret/SCI clearance.

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.

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.

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.

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.

• 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.