Muon Space · 3 days ago
Senior Mechanical Engineer - Spacecraft Mission Mechanical Lead
San Jose, CA
Full-time
Onsite
Senior Level, Lead/Staff
$181K/yr - $202K/yr
8+ years expMuon Space is an end-to-end Space Systems Provider that designs, builds, and operates LEO satellite constellations. They are seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer to lead the mechanical engineering direction for spacecraft missions, translating customer requirements into manufacturable designs and mentoring a team of engineers.
AerospaceInformation ServicesInformation Technology
No H1B
U.S. Citizen Only
Responsibilities
Serve as Mission Mechanical Engineering Lead, owning the mechanical design direction and delivery for spacecraft programs
Translate mission requirements into mechanical architectures, coordinating across thermal, structural, avionics, optical, RF, and systems engineering disciplines
Create project-level roadmaps aligned with departmental objectives; present plans for manager feedback and advocacy
Make economically sound make vs. buy decisions, balancing rapid capability demonstration with constellation scale-up requirements
Manage directly or indirectly 3–6 mechanical engineers and technicians, including task assignment, technical guidance, and career development
Mentor team members on systems-level thinking and complex problem-solving; serve as a recognized subject matter expert and trusted authority
Lead rigorous design reviews, providing constructive feedback that elevates the quality of engineering work
Contribute to hiring, onboarding, and training of mechanical engineering talent
Apply space industry experience to optimize and mature existing spacecraft designs for improved performance, reliability, and manufacturability
Lead R&D efforts for satellite mechanical systems, identifying opportunities for innovation and risk reduction
Research and document design trade decisions on manufacturability, cost, and schedule; drive consensus with cross-functional stakeholders
Contribute to maturing Muon's mechanical engineering standards, best practices, and design guidelines
Create, analyze, and refine spacecraft mechanical designs in SolidWorks, managing large assemblies
Develop clean-sheet and derivative mechanical/structural architectures through detailed design
Perform stress and dynamic analyses (hand calculations, simple FEM) to support structural designs including joint design and stiffness analyses
Collaborate with structural and thermal analysts to iterate designs for performance and manufacturability
Design test plans and lead environmental test campaigns including vibration, TVAC, and EMI
Design test fixtures and specify equipment (accelerometers, strain gauges, thermocouples, etc.)
Influence flight designs to ensure hardware is optimized for both build efficiency and test effectiveness
Qualification
Required
8+ years of experience designing, building, and testing flight hardware in the space industry (or similar: aerospace, autonomous vehicles, etc.)
Demonstrated proficiency leading mechanical design for spacecraft or complex electromechanical systems
Experience managing or technically leading a small team of engineers and/or technicians
Strong competence in one or more of: structural mechanics/analysis, thermal management/modeling, environmental testing (TVAC, vibration)
Proficiency in CAD (SolidWorks preferred) for medium-to-large assembly design and management
Mastery of drawings, GD&T, BOMs, FAIs, tolerance budgets, and mass budgets
Experience with ECO/DCO processes and PLM systems
Extensive documentation capabilities: build procedures, test plans, design trades, DOEs
Experience managing external vendors for part prototyping and development
Excellent communication, presentation, and cross-functional coordination skills
B.S. or higher in Mechanical Engineering
A desire to change the way the world understands and reacts to climate and environmental data
Preferred
Flight heritage—hardware you designed that has successfully operated in space
Experience optimizing and maturing existing designs (not only clean-sheet development)
Familiarity with satellite payloads and mission-level mechanical integration
Experience with deployable hardware (solar arrays, antennas, mechanisms)
Experience with ADCS components: reaction wheels, torque rods, star trackers
Optomechanical instrument or payload design
Experience running structural analyses (FEMAP, ANSYS)
Experience with thermal management systems for spacecraft
Large assembly management in SolidWorks PDM, Duro, or similar PLM
Software skills in Python, MATLAB, or similar
Project management experience: customer reviews, Gantt charts, risk tracking
Experience qualifying external vendors and contract manufacturers
Google Workspace proficiency; Slack
Benefits
Medical, dental, and vision insurance
A 401k retirement plan
Short & long term disability and life insurance
Three weeks paid vacation for new employees
12 paid holidays
Unlimited sick time
Paid parental leave
Company
Muon Space
Muon Space is a space systems company that designs, builds, and operates LEO satellite constellations for earth intelligence missions.
51-200 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Growth StageTotal Funding
$225.8MKey Investors
United States Space ForceCongruent VenturesActivate Capital Partners
2025-10-08Grant· $44.6M
2025-06-12Series B· $44.5M
2025-06-12Debt Financing· $45M
Leadership Team
Jonathan Dyer
CEO
Dan McCleese
Co-Founder & Chief Scientist
Recent News
Business Insider
2025-12-25
Company data provided by crunchbase