Mechanical Engineer II, Solar & Deployables
About the role
Muon seeks a Mechanical Engineer to design and build hardware for our new Solar & Deployables group — the team responsible for the solar arrays and deployable systems that power our spacecraft. Working alongside the group's senior and staff engineers, you'll take real ownership of components and assemblies: designing them, releasing them, prototyping them, and proving them out in test.
This is a hands-on design role with a fast build-test-learn loop. You'll see your hardware go from CAD to flight, and you'll help carry designs from first prototypes through constellation-quantity production.
This position is hybrid and requires working on-site in our San Jose, CA office three days per week.
Responsibilities
Design components and assemblies for solar arrays and deployable systems — structures, mechanism components, and supporting hardware — from concept through detailed design and release
Produce and release engineering documentation: drawings, GD&T, BOMs, and tolerance stacks under configuration control
Build and test prototypes to evaluate design concepts and retire risk early
Support qualification and acceptance test campaigns, including deployment testing with gravity offload and environmental test (vibration, TVAC)
Perform first-order engineering analysis — margins, stiffness, and sizing hand calcs — to guide your designs, working with the group's analysts on detailed FEA
Design test fixtures, GSE, and tooling that make hardware fast and repeatable to build and test
Work with vendors on part fabrication, and support build procedures and work instructions for production
Present your work in design reviews and incorporate feedback from senior engineers across disciplines
Required Qualifications
5+ years of experience designing, building, and testing mechanical hardware
Strong CAD skills (SolidWorks preferred) for component and assembly design
Solid command of drawings, GD&T, BOMs, and tolerance stacks
Hands-on prototyping and test experience with a bias for learning through hardware
Familiarity with common fabrication methods (machining, sheet metal, composites, or additive)
Excellent communication and teamwork skills, with a strong desire to learn in a fast-paced environment
B.S. or higher in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related field
Nice-to-have Skills
Experience with spacecraft hardware, deployables, or precision mechanisms
Structural analysis experience: hand calculations or FEA (FEMAP/NASTRAN, ANSYS, or similar)
Experience with environmental testing (vibration, TVAC, shock)
Composite panel or bonded-joint design experience
Experience with PLM systems and ECO/DCO processes
Software skills in Python, MATLAB, or similar
Salary
The salary range for this role is $144,000 - $177,000, plus a competitive equity grant and comprehensive benefits package. Final compensation will be determined based on skills, qualifications, experience, and geographic location as assessed during the interview process.