Staff Mechanical Engineer - Spacecraft Components
Muon Space· Engineering - Hardware
San Jose, CA$190k - $216kfull-timePosted 1mo ago
About the role
Technical owner for spacecraft mechanisms and components design, responsible for margin, redundancy, testing, and environmental qualification. Plays a systems-minded, cross-disciplinary role across mechanical, structural, thermal, electrical, and program management to deliver on multiple missions with a hands-on, onsite presence in San Jose (3 days/week).
Responsibilities
- Own the mechanical direction of your spacecraft component or mechanisms; from requirements definition through design, build, test, and launch-vehicle integration
- Create, analyze, and refine mechanical designs in SolidWorks; tailor Muon's platform components and design new components where required
- Perform first-order structural, dynamic, and thermal sizing to guide designs; partner with Muon's dedicated structural and thermal analysis groups on detailed analysis and correlation
- Make economically sound make-vs-buy decisions, balancing rapid capability demonstration with the path to constellation-scale production
- Lead the mechanical portion of internal and external design reviews (PDR, CDR, MRR)
- Lead component/subsystem environmental test campaigns (vibration, TVAC, shock) and disposition results
- Produce and release engineering documentation: drawings, GD&T, BOMs, tolerance/mass budgets, and build procedures under configuration control (ECO/DCO, PLM)
- Contribute to maturing Muon's mechanical engineering standards, tools, and culture
- Own the mechanical architecture and design direction of components for usage across platform/satellite class, balancing multiple concurrent and future missions
- Engage directly with stakeholders and launch providers on interfaces, environments, margins, and acceptance criteria; contribute mechanical content to proposals
- Define, document, and champion mechanical design standards, review processes, and best practices that scale across the organization
- Act as a force multiplier — mentor engineers at all levels, chair design reviews
Qualifications
- 10+ years of experience designing, building, and testing high-reliability hardware
- B.S. or higher in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field
- 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
- Demonstrated proficiency leading mechanical design for complex electromechanical 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
- Strong mentorship skills
- Demonstrated experience creating technical documents (ESOW, Technical Specification, DFMEA, Test Verification Plan)
- Experience owning components used across platform, product line, or major subsystems
- Recognized depth in a specialty (e.g., Mechanisms, Composites, or Dynamics) with industry references
- Customer-facing experience: technical interchanges, requirements discussions, or proposal contributions
Skills
Required:SolidWorksGD&TECO/DCO and PLMStructural/thermal/dynamic sizingProject leadership
Benefits
- equity compensation
- medical, dental, and vision insurance
- 401k retirement plan
- short & long term disability and life insurance
- three weeks paid vacation
- 12 paid holidays
- unlimited sick time
- paid parental leave
Last updated Sep 19, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.
About Muon Space
The Mission Foundry — designing, building, and operating high-performance satellite constellations for National Security, civil, and commercial customers.
Design, build, and operate mission-optimized satellite constellations with Muon Space.
Mission FoundryMission DesignSpacecraft PlatformsPayloads & Data ProductsOrbital AIConstellation ProductionManaged Orbital Services
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