Mechanical Engineer II, Spacecraft Structures & Missions

Muon seeks a Mechanical Engineer to join our Spacecraft Structures & Missions team — the group that tailors Muon's spacecraft platforms to specific customer missions. In this role, you'll own the mechanical execution of a mission end-to-end, from platform building blocks to mission-specific components, through integration, environmental test, and delivery to the launch vehicle. This position is hybrid, requiring on-site work in our San Jose, CA office three days per week.

About the role

You'll work alongside senior and staff engineers, partnering closely with Muon's dedicated structural and thermal analysis groups, with plenty of room to grow your ownership over time.

Responsibilities

• Own the mechanical execution of an assigned mission end-to-end — from requirements through design, build, integration, and environmental test — with support from senior engineers
• Tailor Muon's platform components to mission needs and design new mission-specific components and payload accommodations
• Create and manage spacecraft-level mechanical assemblies in SolidWorks, including envelopes, interfaces, and configuration control
• Perform first-order structural and thermal sizing to guide your designs, partnering with Muon's dedicated structural and thermal analysis groups for detailed analysis
• Produce and release engineering documentation: drawings, GD&T, BOMs, and tolerance/mass budgets through ECO/DCO processes
• Support environmental test campaigns (vibration, TVAC) and spacecraft integration alongside production and test teams
• Write build procedures and support hardware assembly and integration on the floor
• Present your work in design reviews (PDR, CDR, MRR) and coordinate across systems, thermal, avionics, and payload teams

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience designing, building, and testing mechanical hardware for complex systems
• Experience taking hardware from concept through build and test
• Structural analysis fundamentals: hand calculations, margin assessment, and familiarity with FEA
• Proficiency in CAD for medium-to-large assembly design and management (SolidWorks preferred)
• Solid command of drawings, GD&T, BOMs, and tolerance/mass budgets
• Excellent communication and cross-functional coordination skills
• A strong desire to learn and contribute in a fast-paced, dynamic environment
• B.S. or higher in Mechanical Engineering or related field

Skills

• Space industry experience — spacecraft, launch vehicles, or flight hardware
• Experience running or supporting environmental test campaigns (vibration, TVAC)
• Hands-on FEA experience (FEMAP/NASTRAN, ANSYS, or similar)
• Experience with PLM systems and formal change control
• Experience with deployable hardware or precision mechanisms
• Software skills in Python, MATLAB, or similar

Pay

The salary range for this role is $144,000 - $177,000, plus a competitive equity grant. Final compensation will be determined based on skills, qualifications, experience, and geographic location.

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 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

ITAR/EAR Requirements: This position requires access to export-controlled information. Applicants must be U.S. persons (citizens, nationals, lawful permanent residents, refugees, or asylees), eligible to access such information without export authorization, or eligible and reasonably likely to obtain the required export authorization.