Senior EO/IR Payloads Systems Architect

Muon Space; Washington; On-site; USD 181,000 - 208,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity compensation

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401k retirement plan

Paid vacation and holidays

Parental leave

Job summary

Muon Space is seeking a creative and technically rigorous Senior Systems Engineer, EO/IR Payloads to join our Mission Innovation team. In this high-impact role, you will drive the technical exploration of new payload concepts and enable novel imaging modes across defense, intelligence, and commercial markets.

You will build models and simulations, develop requirements, and collaborate with product, applied science, and business teams to translate ideas into feasible architectures.

Qualifications

• BS, MS, or PhD in engineering, physics, optical sciences or equivalent.
• 5+ years as a systems or instrument engineer in EO/IR payloads.
• Experience with infrared, multispectral or hyperspectral sensing.
• Experience on EO/IR space missions across government and commercial markets.
• Strong modeling, simulation and analysis skills; proficient in Python, MATLAB or Julia.
• Clear communication and collaboration across disciplines; TS/SCI clearance preferred.

Responsibilities

• Conceptualize, analyze, demonstrate, and experiment with new EO/IR payload concepts.
• Develop system and payload requirements, build simulations and models.
• Identify imaging modes and new operational use cases for stakeholders.
• Lead early-stage R&D as Principal Investigator.
• Partner with Product and Applied Science to translate ideas into architectures.
• Evaluate technical trades and radiometric models for early concepts.
• Perform feasibility studies and literature reviews to support development.
• Support customer discovery and proposal efforts with EO/IR expertise.
• Contribute to technical proposals, white papers, and roadmaps.

Skills

EO/IR payloads

Systems engineering

Python / MATLAB

Security clearance

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Engineering degree / Physics / Optical Sciences

MS/PhD preferred

Tools

Python

MATLAB

Julia

Job description

Muon Space is seeking a creative and technically rigorous Senior Systems Engineer, EO/IR Payloads to join our Mission Innovation team. In this high-impact role, you will drive the technical exploration of new payload concepts and enable novel imaging modes across defense, intelligence, and commercial markets.

You will build models and simulations, develop requirements, and collaborate with product, applied science, and business teams to translate ideas into feasible architectures.