Manufacturing Engineer Hardware

Frontdoor Defense; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 148,000; Full time

Job summary

Muon Space in San Jose, CA is seeking a Manufacturing Engineer to help develop manufacturable satellite assembly processes and lead manufacturing-readiness for new designs. The ideal candidate is experienced in aerospace manufacturing and will drive early design-for-manufacturing input, ensuring products can be produced and tested quickly and reliably.

The role is fully onsite at our San Jose office, requiring collaboration with design engineers, technicians, and production teams to plan

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical, Industrial Engineering, Physics, or related field.
• 5+ years in aerospace or high-reliability manufacturing environments.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, schematics, and wiring diagrams.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities.
• Experience with PLM and MES software for design and production management.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with design engineers early to influence manufacturability, testability, and integration.
• Plan and document detailed assembly and test sequences for satellite components and systems.
• Write, update, and manage assembly procedures and work instructions.
• Specify requirements for jigs, fixtures, and tooling, and support their design and validation.
• Work with technicians to ensure process compliance, troubleshoot, and improve.
• Participate in root cause analysis and corrective actions for process issues.
• Contribute to continuous improvement for efficiency, quality, and safety.
• Maintain documentation and records of procedures, tools, and lessons learned.

Job description

Manufacturing Engineer

Develop manufacturable satellite assembly processes and lead manufacturing-readiness for new designs

Location: San Jose, California

Compensation: $130,000 - 148,000 USD / year

About The Role

Manufacturing Engineer

Muon seeks a Manufacturing Engineer to join our team. The ideal candidate is a seasoned professional passionate about aerospace manufacturing, with a strong commitment to enabling accurate, and efficient production. You will play a key role in developing our vehicle designs and ensuring our products can be manufactured and tested quickly and reliably.

This position is fully onsite and requires working in our San Jose, CA office five days per week.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with design engineers early in the development cycle to influence satellite designs for manufacturability, testability, and ease of integration.
• Plan and document detailed assembly and test sequences for satellite components and systems, including electro-mechanical elements such as wire harnesses.
• Write, update, and manage comprehensive assembly procedures and work instructions in accordance with engineering drawings, specifications, and quality standards.
• Identify and specify requirements for assembly aids such as jigs, fixtures, and custom tooling, and support their design, procurement, and validation.
• Work closely with technicians and production teams during hands-on assembly and test operations to ensure process compliance, troubleshoot issues, and implement improvements.
• Participate in root cause analysis and corrective action efforts for process-related anomalies or non-conformances during assembly and test.
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives aimed at enhancing process efficiency, quality, and safety.
• Maintain documentation and records of procedures, tools, and lessons learned to support future builds and knowledge transfer.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Physics, or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience in aerospace or high-reliability manufacturing environments
• Proficient in reading and interpreting engineering drawings, schematics, and wiring diagrams.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Experience with software tools for design & production management such as PLM and MES

Nice-to-have Skills

• Experience in a cleanroom manufacturing environment
• Familiarity with aerospace industry standards such as AS9100, ISO 9001, or similar
• Experience with satellite or spacecraft integration and test
• Experience with CAD tools for mechanical, electrical, and wire harness design

Salary

The salary range for this role is $130,000 - $148,000, and will depend on a candidate's skills, geographic location, qualifications, and experience as defined during the interview process.

About Muon Space

Founded in 2021, Muon Space is an end-to-end Space Systems Provider that designs, builds, and operates LEO satellite constellations delivering mission‑critical data. Our revolutionary, integrated technology stack enables customers to optimize every dimension of their missions for faster time‑to‑orbit and superior constellation remote sensing performance. Our state‑of‑the‑art facility in the heart of Silicon Valley is optimized for manufacturing spacecraft and rapid, flexible payload integration at scale. From climate monitoring to national security, Muon Space is dedicated to delivering Earth Intelligence for a safer and more resilient world.

Taking Care of Our Team

At Muon salary is only part of our total compensation package. In addition to salary, full‑time employees receive equity compensation as well as benefits including medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401k retirement plan, short & long term disability and life insurance. We also offer three weeks paid vacation for new employees, along with 12 paid holidays, unlimited sick time and paid parental leave.

Our mission embraces the entire planet and we believe our team should too.

Muon is dedicated to creating a diverse and dynamic company and workforce.

We believe in equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, age, national origin, citizenship, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, or gender identity.

We value diversity in the workplace, and that starts with our applicants.

In addition, if you need a reasonable accommodation as part of your application for employment or interviews with us, please let us know.

Muon is currently registered and able to hire in the following states: AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, IL, IA, ID, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, NJ, NY, NC, OH, OR, PA, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA.

ITAR/EAR Requirements

This position requires access to export controlled information. To conform to U.S. Government export regulations applicable to that information, applicant must either be (A) a U.S. person, defined as a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (green card holder), (iii) refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, (B) eligible to access the export controlled information without a required export authorization, or (C) eligible and reasonably likely to obtain the required export authorization from the applicable U.S. government agency. The Company may, for legitimate business reasons, decline to pursue any export licensing process.