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Salary: USD 158,000 - 207,000 / annual
Muon Space, a LEO satellite constellation provider founded in 2021, is seeking a Senior Instrument Scientist to lead simulation and modeling efforts for electro-optical/infrared instruments. You will own end-to-end instrument performance simulations connecting optical, detector, and scanner physics to on-orbit capability, building and maintaining virtual instrument and digital twin representations of on-orbit hardware.
Key responsibilities include developing and maintaining comprehensive instrument performance simulations from optical through predicted on-orbit capability; building and maintaining digital twin representations aligned with as-built performance; defining flight software inputs for operating modes, sensor readout, and scanner control based on simulation results; supporting on-orbit performance monitoring and anomaly investigation with lessons learned fed back into models; and participating in a 24/7 on-call rotation (approximately one week every six weeks) for on-orbit anomaly resolution.
You will translate physics into orbital capability from concept through end of life, working across Instrument Systems, Flight Software, and Mission Systems teams. This role requires strong communication skills to translate performance predictions into requirements and trade studies.
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor's, Master's, or doctoral degree in engineering, physics, or related field, or equivalent experience
- 5+ years of experience coding and simulating performance for imaging systems, remote sensing instruments, or comparable electro-optical hardware
- Experience building instrument performance models or simulations (radiometric, geometric, optical, or systems-level)
- Software proficiency in Python, Julia, C++, or similar languages, with experience writing tested, reviewed, and maintained code in shared codebases
- Strong communication skills for translating performance predictions into requirements and trade studies
NICE-TO-HAVE:
- Familiarity with flight software concepts (operating modes, sensor readout, scanner/pointing control)
- Exposure to radiometric or geometric calibration methodology
- Experience with virtual instruments or digital twin architectures
- Experience supporting on-orbit commissioning, calibration, validation, or fleet performance monitoring
- Ability to apply first-principles physics to validate simulation outputs
