Manager, Government and Community Affairs, Project Ranger

Castelion was founded to restore America’s ability to field advanced weapons at speed and scale. Inspired by the engineering urgency of the WWII and Apollo eras, we combine rapid iteration, vertical integration, and scalable manufacturing to deliver affordable, high-performance strike systems. Our mission: rebuild industrial agility to strengthen national security and outpace evolving threats.

About the Role

Project Ranger is Castelion's advanced manufacturing facility in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. When completed, it will be the world's largest purpose-built hypersonics manufacturing facilities, supporting high-rate production, local job creation, and the national security needs of the United States. Project Ranger is a major long-term investment in New Mexico.

Its success will depend not only on construction and production execution, but also on strong relationships with local communities, elected officials, workforce partners, educational institutions, business organizations, and civic leaders across Rio Rancho, Sandoval County, Albuquerque, and the broader state.

Requirements

Basic Qualifications 8+ years of experience in external affairs, public affairs, government relations, community relations, economic development, communications, or a related field. Strong understanding of New Mexico's political, civic, business, and community landscape, with particular familiarity with Rio Rancho, Sandoval County, Albuquerque, or state-level stakeholders.

Demonstrated experience building trust with local officials, community leaders, business organizations, educational institutions, and other external stakeholders. Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain complex technical, economic, and national security issues to non-technical audiences.

Experience supporting or leading public-facing engagement for a major facility, infrastructure project, manufacturing site, economic development project, or high-growth company. Ability to work effectively across internal teams, including operations, communications, legal, facilities, finance, HR, recruiting, and senior leadership.

High ownership and ability to manage multiple projects, events, and stakeholder relationships in parallel. Sound judgment, discretion, and ability to identify reputational or political risks before they become larger issues. Ability to operate in a fast-paced, high-growth environment with evolving priorities. Must be a U.

S. Person due to potential access to U.S. export-controlled information or facilities.

Preferred Qualifications

Existing relationships with New Mexico local, county, state, business, education, workforce, or civic stakeholders. Experience in defense, aerospace, advanced manufacturing, energy, infrastructure, economic development, or technology. Experience working with workforce development boards, community colleges, technical training programs, or veteran employment organizations.

Experience managing local media, site visits, public events, community briefings, or elected official engagements. Familiarity with defense industrial base issues, manufacturing workforce challenges, or national security policy. Prior experience supporting a company during major site construction, facility launch, or regional expansion.

Benefits

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