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Salary: USD 183,000 - 198,000 / annual
Muon Space, a LEO satellite constellation provider founded in 2021, is seeking a Senior Thermal Engineer to own instrument-level thermal engineering across multiple missions (SBEM, Quickbeam, Hydrosat). This role encompasses thermal modeling, hardware design, and verification end-to-end, while contributing to spacecraft-level thermal balance.
Key responsibilities include owning instrument thermal models and driving design improvements for NRE and per-mission-block optimization. You will own the thermal verification and validation test plan, including model correlation for instruments, and manage thermal hardware ICDs (heat straps, radiators) and performance requirements. The role requires contributing to full-spacecraft thermal balance and system thermal model integration, supporting system-level testing, and defining thermal limits and margins to other subsystems.
You will mentor junior thermal engineers and serve as the technical authority for instrument thermal engineering, working across disciplines to develop elegant, well-balanced designs. This is a hybrid position requiring three days per week on-site in San Jose.
Required qualifications include 8+ years of spacecraft or aerospace thermal engineering experience (BS+8 or MS+6), expert-level proficiency in thermal simulation and full-spacecraft thermal balance, and hands-on experience designing, executing, and correlating TVAC and unit-level thermal tests. You must demonstrate fluency across thermal-mechanical interfaces, ICDs, margins, and requirements flow-down, with a B.S. or higher degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Physics, or a related field.
Nice-to-have skills include Python or Matlab scripting, systems engineering experience, and familiarity with IR-imaging systems or spacecraft payloads. The company offers competitive equity grants, comprehensive benefits including medical/dental/vision insurance, 401k, disability and life insurance, three weeks paid vacation, 12 paid holidays, unlimited sick time, and paid parental leave.
