Senior Instrument Scientist, Calibration Testing

Muon Space, Inc.; Mountain View (CA); Hybrid; USD 197,000 - 218,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity grant

Comprehensive benefits

Job summary

Muon Space is seeking a Senior Instrument Scientist in Mountain View to own ground calibration hardware and software, define test procedures, and deliver calibration results for flight readiness. You will work with the Instrument Science team across calibration design and test campaigns, ensuring robust performance before launch.

The role requires 5+ years in calibration infrastructure for imaging or EO hardware, strong programming in Python/Julia/C++, and effective cross-team communication.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in engineering, physics, or related field.
• 5+ years building/operating ground calibration infrastructure for imaging or remote sensing.
• Hands-on calibration hardware experience with listed equipment.
• Proficiency in Python, Julia, or C++ in a shared codebase.

Responsibilities

• Develop hardware and software infrastructure for ground calibration.
• Define ground-calibration test procedures, including campaigns with the instrument.
• Deliver ground-calibration results and reports.
• Collaborate with the Calibration Design team to validate test infrastructure.

Skills

Python

Julia

C++

Education

Advanced degree in engineering/physics

Tools

Integrating spheres

Blackbodies

Collimators

Autocollimators

Spacecraft testbeds

Job description

Senior Instrument Scientist, Calibration Testing

Mountain View, CA

About the role

Muon's Instrument Science team, part of our broader Electro-Optical/Infrared Instruments organization, defines the science, models and calibrates the instrument, and validates its performance, translating physics into orbital capability from concept through end of life. As our Senior Instrument Scientist responsible for Calibration Testing, you will own the hardware and software infrastructure used to calibrate the instrument on the ground, define the test procedures that execute our calibration methodology, and deliver the calibration results and reports that validate the instrument's readiness for flight.

This position is hybrid and requires working on-site in our Mountain View office three days per week.

Responsibilities

• Develop hardware and software infrastructure for ground calibration.
• Define ground-calibration test procedures, including campaigns run with the instrument integrated on the spacecraft or on ground testbeds.
• Deliver ground-calibration results and reports.
• Partner with the Instrument Scientist responsible for Calibration Design to ensure calibration methodology can be executed with ground test infrastructure.
• Participate in a twenty-four-hour, seven-day on-call rotation to support on-orbit anomaly resolution. The on-call rotation is approximately one week every month and a half.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's, Master's, or doctoral degree in engineering, physics, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• 5+ years of experience building or operating ground calibration test infrastructure for imaging systems, remote sensing instruments, or comparable electro-optical hardware, including comfort operating flight software during integrated test campaigns.
• Hands-on experience with calibration equipment such as integrating spheres, blackbodies, collimators, or autocollimators, as well as spacecraft testbeds used for integrated test campaigns.
• Software proficiency in one or more languages, such as Python, Julia, or C++, including experience writing code that others depend on, tested, reviewed, and maintained in a shared codebase.
• Strong communication skills, comfortable delivering calibration results and reports across Instrument Assembly, Integration and Test, and the Infrared Data Product team.

Nice-to-have Skills

• Experience with visible and infrared sensors, and scanner characterization.
• Exposure to radiometric or geometric calibration methodology.
• Experience with calibration uncertainty analysis and error budgeting.
• Experience supporting calibration data validation with downstream data product teams.
• Experience working in cleanroom environments or handling sensitive electro-optical hardware.

The salary range for this role is $197,000 - $218,000 , 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

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

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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