Principal Mechanical Engineer

<h2>About the role</h2> <p>Muon seeks a Principal Mechanical Engineer to join our Mechanical Engineering team, reporting to the Director of Mechanical Engineering.&nbsp; 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.&nbsp; This role will also have the opportunity to frequently be hands-on with both prototype and production hardware.</p> <p>You will serve as a technical leader, mentor, and advisor to others on the mechanical team, leveraging previous experience in designing &amp; building spacecraft to push boundaries and design industry leading “new space” satellites for many different commercial and national security applications.&nbsp; Additionally, you will help define product roadmaps &amp; use a breadth of knowledge to make system level tradeoffs and optimizations.</p> <p>This hybrid role requires onsite work at our San Jose location three days a week.</p> <h2>Responsibilities</h2> <ul> <li>Serve as a technical advisor and domain expert, leading the team to optimal designs of spacecraft structures and components</li> <li>Identify opportunities and lead efforts to improve performance, reduce mass, lower cost, improve manufacturability of current spacecraft platforms.</li> <li>Interface directly with Muon’s product &amp; business teams to understand market needs define multi-year roadmaps for mechanical subsystems</li> <li>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</li> <li>Define mechanical team standards and best practices</li> <li>Contribute broadly to hiring, onboarding, and training of mechanical engineering talent, helping build a culture of technical excellence</li> </ul> <h2>Required Qualifications<em>&nbsp;</em></h2> <ul> <li>12+ years of experience designing, building, and testing flight hardware in the space industry, with multiple programs through on-orbit operations.</li> <li>Strong mentorship experience with demonstrated success in developing junior and mid-level engineers &amp; directly or indirectly leading a team of engineers.</li> <li>Proven track record of optimizing and maturing existing designs and proven approach to clean-sheet development</li> <li>Expert technical knowledge of structural mechanics and analysis, thermal management and modeling, environmental testing (TVAC, vibration)</li> <li>Experience with a variety of manufacturing methods and techniques for space applications, including machining, composites, molding, 3D printing, etc</li> <li>Mastery of standard tools: CAD (SolidWorks preferred),