Muon Space
Principal Mechanical Engineer
San Jose, CA · Principal · Full-time
Sponsorship not specified$222k-$250kDetected 36 days ago
PythonMATLABERPSolidWorksANSYSFEAThermal AnalysisGD&TMechanical DesignCommunicationMentoringRemote Sensing
About the role
- Muon seeks a Principal Mechanical Engineer to join our Mechanical Engineering team, reporting to the Director of Mechanical Engineering.
- This role will also have the opportunity to frequently be hands-on with both prototype and production hardware.
- Additionally, you will help define product roadmaps & use a breadth of knowledge to make system level tradeoffs and optimizations.
Responsibilities
- Serve as a technical advisor and domain expert, leading the team to optimal designs of spacecraft structures and components
- Identify opportunities and lead efforts to improve performance, reduce mass, lower cost, improve manufacturability of current spacecraft platforms.
- Act as a force multiplier by providing strong, hands-on mentorship to mechanical engineers at all levels, developing their technical skills and systems-level thinking
- Contribute broadly to hiring, onboarding, and training of mechanical engineering talent, helping build a culture of technical excellence
- Proven track record of optimizing and maturing existing designs and proven approach to clean-sheet development
Requirements
- 12+ years of experience designing, building, and testing flight hardware in the space industry, with multiple programs through on-orbit operations.
- Strong mentorship experience with demonstrated success in developing junior and mid-level engineers & directly or indirectly leading a team of engineers.
- Expert technical knowledge of structural mechanics and analysis, thermal management and modeling, environmental testing (TVAC, vibration)
- Experience with a variety of manufacturing methods and techniques for space applications, including machining, composites, molding, 3D printing, etc
Nice to have
- Mastery of standard tools: CAD (SolidWorks preferred), PLM, ERP, FEA, test hardware and equipment
Skills
- Expert-level skills with drawings, GD&T, BOMs, FAIs, tolerance budgets, and mass budgets
- Experience managing external vendors for part development and manufacturing
- Excellent communication, presentation, and coordination skills
- B.S. or higher in Mechanical Engineering or related field
- Experience with deployable structures (solar arrays, antennas, mechanisms)
- Optomechanical instrument or payload design experience
- Software skills in Python, MATLAB, or similar
- Experience with reaction wheels, torque rods, star trackers, or other ADCS components
- Large assembly management in SolidWorks PDM, Duro, or similar PLM
- Experience running structural analyses (FEMAP, ANSYS)
- Track record of establishing engineering standards at an organizational level
Compensation
- The salary range for this role is $222,000 - $250,000, plus a competitive equity grant and comprehensive benefits package.
- Final compensation will be determined based on skills, qualifications, experience, and geographic location as assessed during the interview process.
- About Muon Space
- Founded in 2021, Muon Space is an end-to-end Space Systems Provider that designs, builds, and operates LEO satellite constellations delivering mission-critical data.
- Our revolutionary, integrated technology stack enables customers to optimize every dimension of their missions for faster time-to-orbit and superior constellation remote sensing performance.
- From climate monitoring to national security, Muon Space is dedicated to delivering Earth Intelligence for a safer and more resilient world.
Benefits
- Our state-of-the-art facility in the heart of Silicon Valley is optimized for manufacturing spacecraft and rapid, flexible payload integration at scale.
- We also offer three weeks paid vacation for new employees, along with 12 paid holidays, unlimited sick time and paid parental leave.
- We believe in equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, age, national origin, citizenship, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, or gender identity.
Equal opportunity
- In addition, if you need a reasonable accommodation as part of your application for employment or interviews with us, please let us know.
Visa & Work Authorization
- We believe in equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, age, national origin, citizenship, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, or gender identity
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This listing is sourced directly from Muon Space's careers page and normalized into a canonical job model.