Infrared Instrument Systems Engineer

About the role

Muon seeks an Instrument Systems Engineer to join our team in Mountain View, CA developing optical remote sensing instruments. At Muon, we are developing multiple missions to help understand and act on climate impacts. In this role you will span the full lifecycle of instrument development - from initial concept, through design and prototyping, to AIT and on-orbit validation/operations. You will be responsible for interacting with cross functional team members, vendors, and partners to develop requirements and ICDs, perform system modeling, define instrument CONOPs, and manage risk. Muon is a lean and agile team, so keys to success in this role are your ability to “right-size” analysis and processes for differing levels of system maturity and risk, your flexibility to work with changing demands and schedules, and your effective communication of technical content to a diverse audience. This role may be remote or located at our headquarters in Mountain View, California.

Responsibilities

• Translate science and observation requirements into technical requirements
• Develop instrument system, subsystem, and component performance models and integrate with internal simulation tools.
• Manage requirements traceability and own requirements V&V
• Define instrument concept of operations and manage instrument technical budgets (e.g. power, data, mass, pointing/stability)
• Assess internal and external risks to the instrument, develop mitigation plans, and communicate them effectively
• Monitor the performance of on-orbit instruments and data pipelines, support anomaly detection and root cause analysis
• Collaborate effectively with other engineers, software developers, data product developers, ground segment team, and mission operations teams
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of processes, tools, and methodologies to enhance efficiency and effectiveness in instrument development and operations

Qualifications

• B.S, M.S., or Ph.D. in an engineering field, or equivalent experience.
• 3+ years of experience working in a multi-disciplinary environment, preferably with exposure to spacecraft, remote sensing instruments, and imaging systems.
• Experience developing system models, systems analysis, and running simulations
• Experience with system integration and delivery of complex HW/SW systems
• Experience deriving, developing, managing, and validating requirements for a multi-disciplinary technical project
• Experience driving right-sized trade studies and identifying systems solutions.
• Demonstrated project management skills and ability to collaborate with other engineering disciplines
• Excellent communication, presentation, and coordination skills
• Ability to rapidly change roles/responsibilities while working in a high-paced, rewarding work environment

Nice-to-have Skills

• Software skills in Python or Julia.
• Experience with space remote sensing instrument development.
• Experience with infrared imaging systems and components.
• Experience working with precision electro-optical equipment.
• Exposure to design and analysis of optical components and systems.
• Experience supporting integrated spacecraft testing and launch campaigns.

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

Salary

The salary range for this role is 100K-190K and will depend on a candidate's skills, qualifications, and experience as defined 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, we provide equity compensation as well as benefits including medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401k retirement plan, life insurance, and an employee development program. 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.