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Salary: USD 207,000 - 230,000 / annual
Muon Space, an end-to-end space systems provider designing and manufacturing LEO satellite constellations, is seeking a Senior Manager of Test Operations to lead and scale test operations supporting growing spacecraft and subsystem production.
You will oversee Spacecraft Test Technicians and Subsystems Test Technicians, with responsibility for staffing, shift coverage, operational execution, technician development, test capacity, and production throughput. You will establish the processes, infrastructure, and organizational capabilities needed to support increasing production volume and evolving spacecraft architectures, working closely with Test Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, and Program Management to ensure test operations are safe, repeatable, efficient, and aligned with production priorities.
Key responsibilities include leading and mentoring technical teams; establishing staffing plans, shift coverage, and technician development paths; setting daily operational priorities and driving consistent execution; building a culture of safety, accountability, and quality; owning day-to-day execution of spacecraft and subsystem test operations; ensuring tests use approved procedures, configurations, and tooling; partnering with Test Engineering to transition new tests into stable production; identifying and resolving operational constraints and bottlenecks; developing and implementing operating models to scale with production volume; establishing repeatable processes, standard work, and training requirements; developing capacity and labor models for stations, equipment, and shifts; partnering with Engineering and Manufacturing to design test infrastructure and facilities; identifying opportunities to reduce cycle time and improve throughput; supporting transition of new spacecraft platforms and test capabilities; building organizational capability through cross-training and workforce planning; establishing and managing metrics for throughput, cycle time, utilization, and schedule adherence; driving continuous improvement; and supporting production readiness activities.
This position is fully onsite in San Jose, CA, requiring five days per week in the office.
REQUIREMENTS:
- 10+ years of experience in aerospace, spacecraft, defense, advanced manufacturing, or complex hardware production and test
- 5+ years leading technical, production, integration, or test organizations
- Direct experience leading technicians and hands-on technical teams
- Experience with spacecraft, subsystem, avionics, electrical, functional, or environmental test operations
- Demonstrated experience scaling teams, processes, and infrastructure in growing production environments
- Experience with workforce planning, staffing models, shift operations, and technician development
- Strong understanding of flight hardware handling, configuration control, quality, safety, and hardware protection
- Demonstrated ability to improve throughput, cycle time, utilization, and schedule performance
- Strong cross-functional communication and leadership skills
NICE-TO-HAVE: Spacecraft or launch vehicle I&T operations; high-rate spacecraft or satellite production; experience supporting multiple spacecraft platforms; multi-shift production operations; technician qualification programs and career ladders; scaling contractor and contingent workforces; test stations, EGSE, tooling, and instrumentation; environmental test operations (vibration, TVAC); digital work instructions and MES systems; capacity modeling; Lean/Six Sigma methodologies; MRR, TRR, PRR processes; industrializing development test processes into production operations.
