Principal Mechanical Engineer

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 be deeply technical with a focus on solving the most demanding design, analysis, test, reliability, and manufacturing challenges across multiple spacecraft platforms. This role will also have the opportunity to frequently be hands-on with both prototype and production hardware. You will serve as a technical leader, mentor, and advisor to others on the mechanical team, leveraging previous experience in designing & building spacecraft to push boundaries and design industry leading “new space” satellites for many different commercial and national security applications. Additionally, you will help define product roadmaps & use a breadth of knowledge to make system level tradeoffs and optimizations. This hybrid role requires onsite work at our Mountain View and San Jose locations three days a week. 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. Interface directly with Muon’s product & business teams to understand market needs define multi-year roadmaps for mechanical subsystems 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 Define mechanical team standards and best practices Contribute broadly to hiring, onboarding, and training of mechanical engineering talent, helping build a culture of technical excellence Required Qualifications 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. Proven track record of optimizing and maturing existing designs and proven approach to clean-sheet development 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 Mastery of standard tools: CAD (SolidWorks preferred), PLM, ERP, FEA, test hardware and equipment 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 Nice-to-have Skills 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 Salary 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. Our state-of-the-art facility in the heart of Silicon Valley is optimized for manufacturing spacecraft and rapid, flexible payload integration at scale. From climate monitoring to national security, Muon Space is dedicated to delivering Earth Intelligence for a safer and more resilient world. Taking Care of Our Team At Muon salary is only part of our total compensation package. In addition to salary, full-time employees receive equity compensation as well as benefits including medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401k retirement plan, short & long term disability and life insurance. We also offer three weeks paid vacation for new employees, along with 12 paid holidays, unlimited sick time and paid parental leave. Our mission embraces the entire planet and we believe our team should too. Muon is dedicated to creating a diverse and dynamic company and workforce. 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. We value diversity in the workplace, and that starts with our applicants. We encourage you to apply, even if you don't check all the boxes, and we look forward to reviewing your application! In addition, if you need a reasonable accommodation as part of your application for employment or interviews with us, please let us know. ITAR/EAR Requirements This position requires access to export controlled information. To conform to U.S. Government export regulations applicable to that information, applicant must either be (A) a U.S. person, defined as a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (green card holder), (iii) refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, (B) eligible to access the export controlled information without a required export authorization, or (C) eligible and reasonably likely to obtain the required export authorization from the applicable U.S. government agency. The Company may, for legitimate business reasons, decline to pursue any export licensing process.