Staff Software Engineer, Onboard Compute Architecture
About the role
Muon Space is seeking a Staff Architect for the High Performance Compute (HPC) team, to define and evolve the end-to-end architecture of our onboard compute platform. You'll be the technical center of gravity for software architecture, computation and data flows across FPGA, GPU, CPU, and onboard networking, pulling together architectural threads from across the team and shaping a coherent, mission-flexible compute platform that will fly on Muon spacecraft for years to come.
You will work at the intersection of mission requirements, payload capabilities, and platform architecture, ensuring today's designs meet tomorrow's mission needs, and that our compute platform remains modular, configurable, and reusable across a growing fleet of missions.
This position is hybrid and requires working on-site in our San Jose, CA office three days per week.
Responsibilities
Own the software, data flow and computation architecture and design process for Onboard High Performance Compute
Work closely with corresponding leads in Electrical Engineering and Product to drive the end to end requirements and design of onboard compute components.
Gather architectural requirements from across the company (payload, mission ops, program management, and future mission concepts) and translate them into a forward-looking compute roadmap.
Cluster and unify architectural concepts across the team into a coherent, documented, company-wide HPC architecture.
Drive cross-discipline architectural alignment across FPGA, GPU, and CPU compute, onboard networking, timing; achieve consensus on data flows, processing pipelines, and compute partitioning, including hosting customer-provided routines and code.
Champion a network-first onboard architecture with modular, configurable compute components that can be instantiated in mission-specific ways, and which enables the spacecraft to derive and perform limited autonomous activities.
Partner closely with the Electrical Engineering team to ensure architectural decisions are executable in silicon procurement, PCB and module design, and harness design.
Communicate architecture broadly through diagrams, design docs, white papers, and tech talks, so engineers, product and program managers, and leadership all share a common mental model of the platform.
Required Qualifications
Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field, plus 7+ years of professional experience in system-level or compute-platform architecture and implementation.
Deep previous hands-on implementation experience across software, API design, FPGA programming, GPU programming or low level networking software.
Proven track record architecting heterogeneous compute systems combining FPGA, GPU, and CPU elements, ideally in embedded, aerospace, or high-performance edge environments.
Deep understanding of onboard networking and data-flow architectures, including Ethernet, DMA, zero-copy, and real-time streaming pipelines.
Ability to balance architectural purity with mission pragmatism: designing for flexibility and reuse across many missions while shipping what today's missions need.
Demonstrated experience driving cross-team architectural consensus across hardware, firmware, and software disciplines.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to produce architecture documents and roadmap material for both technical and executive audiences.
Ability and willingness to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance. Active clearance is a plus.
Nice-to-Have Skills
Direct experience with spacecraft avionics, payload compute, or space-grade FPGA/GPU platforms.
Familiarity with onboard networking standards relevant to space (e.g. Ethernet, SpaceWire).
Prior experience defining modular, mission-configurable compute platforms or product families.
Background in safety- or mission-critical development processes.
Prior authorship of architectural white papers or public technical publications.
Salary
The salary range for this role is $210,000 - $234,000, 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.