Quality Engineer, Mechanical

Muon Space, Inc.; San Jose, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 139,000 - 157,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401k retirement plan

Short-term disability

Long-term disability

Life insurance

Three weeks paid vacation

12 paid holidays

Unlimited sick time

Paid parental leave

Job summary

Muon Space, Inc. in San Jose, CA seeks a Mechanical Quality Engineer to own quality across machined parts and assemblies for spaceflight hardware. You will lead inspections, measure GD&T conformance, and drive improvements in a regulated production environment.

The role requires hands-on experience in aerospace manufacturing, GMP/ISO standards, and travel to supplier sites. Join a growing team delivering reliable satellite systems.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field.
• 5+ years in Quality Engineering, QA, or manufacturing.
• Willingness to travel up to 40% to supplier sites.

Responsibilities

• Plan, oversee inspection, integration, and testing of satellites and sub-assemblies to component level, ensuring conformance to specs and GD&T.
• Lead root-cause analysis and corrective actions for nonconformances and track actions with suppliers and in-house shop.
• Build and maintain the Quality Management System, write specs and work instructions, and ensure QA standards are followed.
• Analyze inspection processes to identify improvement opportunities and drive corrective actions.
• Ensure compliance with ISO 9001 / AS9100 and aerospace standards; address space environment considerations.
• Collect and analyze data from tests, inspections, and audits to monitor quality trends.
• Collaborate with design, manufacturing, and test teams to resolve quality issues and train on GD&T and standards.
• Participate in supplier audits and manage nonconformances with suppliers.

Skills

GD&T (ASME Y14.5)

Dimensional inspection

Root cause analysis

Quality systems

Data analysis

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical / Aerospace / Industrial Engineering or Physics

Tools

MES

PLM

Job description

Muon seeks a Mechanical Quality Engineer to join our team. The ideal candidate is a hands-on, seasoned professional passionate about aerospace manufacturing, with a strong commitment to production and quality assurance for high-reliability spaceflight hardware. You will play a key role in developing, implementing, and maintaining our quality programs, ensuring our satellites meet the highest standards of accuracy, reliability, quality, and safety. This is a mechanical-based role: you will own quality across machined parts and mechanical assemblies from incoming inspection through integration and test.

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

Responsibilities

• Inspection and Testing: Plan, execute, and oversee the inspection, integration, and testing of satellites and their sub-assemblies down to component-level hardware. Verify conformance to internal specifications, engineering drawings, and GD&T per ASME Y14.5. Perform dimensional inspection and mechanical fit checks, apply working knowledge of thread inserts, and support necessary testing.
• Nonconformance & Corrective Action Management: Lead nonconformance root-cause analysis and disposition corrective actions. Develop, maintain, and lead nonconformance and corrective action record tracking systems. Work directly with our in-house machine shop, our Supplier Quality Engineers, and vendors during corrective action investigations.
• Quality Management System & Documentation: Help build out and maintain our Quality Management System, driving continuous improvement as we scale. Author internal specifications, workmanship standards, and work instructions. Interpret, build upon, and comply with the company's quality assurance standards, while developing and implementing new standards for production and design. Document quality assurance activities through internal reporting and audits, and maintain quality control documentation including quality plans, inspection records, test reports, and nonconformance reports.
• Process Improvement: Analyze and build upon our inspection, nonconformance management, and assembly processes for our mechanical hardware to identify areas where quality can be improved and drive corrective actions.
• Compliance and Standards: Ensure that all processes adhere to industry standards (e.g., ISO 9001, AS9100) and regulatory requirements specific to aerospace and spacecraft manufacturing, including material and process considerations for the space environment such as outgassing and thermal properties.
• Data Analysis: Collect and analyze data from tests, inspections, and audits to monitor quality trends and provide insights to improve product quality, utilizing quality management software or data analysis platforms.
• Collaboration and Training: Partner with mechanical and electrical design, manufacturing, and test engineers to resolve quality issues and ensure our mechanical hardware integrates properly with electrical hardware. Provide training and support to team members on GD&T, internal standards, and inspection criteria as well as our systems, policies, procedures, and core processes.
• Supplier Audits: Participate in the supplier audit program, including audit planning, execution, and follow-up. Perform on-site and remote audits of current and prospective suppliers to assess quality systems, process capability, and compliance. Work with existing suppliers on identified nonconformances and gaps in their processes.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Physics, or a related field.
• 5+ years experience in Quality Engineering, Quality Assurance, or manufacturing.
• Willingness to travel up to 40% to supplier sites as needed for audits, FAIs, and corrective action support.
• Strong working knowledge of GD&T (ASME Y14.5) and the ability to read and interpret mechanical drawings and specifications.
• Experience with dimensional inspection methods and equipment (calipers, micrometers, go/no-go gauges, optical/laser scanning).
• Deep knowledge of quality assurance terminology, methods, and tools.
• Demonstrated knowledge of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), part & document control, and defect management processes.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Proficiency with data management and reporting software, including MES & PLM.
• Familiarity with aerospace industry standards such as AS9100, ISO 9001, or similar.
• Experience in a cleanroom manufacturing environment related to aerospace or engineering, or a highly regulated environment.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

The salary range for this role is $139,000 - $157,000 , 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.

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

• medical insurance
• dental insurance
• vision insurance
• 401k retirement plan
• short-term disability
• long-term disability
• life insurance
• three weeks paid vacation for new employees
• 12 paid holidays
• unlimited sick time
• 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. We encourage you to apply, even if you don't check all the boxes, and we look forward to reviewing your application! 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

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.

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey.Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiringprocess or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in aconfidential file.

As set forth in Muon Space’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection.As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measurethe effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categoriesis as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

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