Senior Solar Array Engineer – Spacecraft Power

Doist; San Jose, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 183,000 - 198,000; Full time

Job summary

Muon Space seeks a Senior Photovoltaics / Solar Array Engineer to own the design, qualification, and sustainment of spacecraft photovoltaic systems. You will lead cell selection, encapsulation, and array architecture, partner with vendors, and optimize power, mass, and cost for missions.

You will work onsite in San Jose three days a week, collaborating with mechanical, thermal, and electrical teams to iterate on designs and ensure flight readiness across campaigns.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience designing, building, and testing high-reliability hardware.
• 5+ years with solar arrays or photovoltaic systems.
• Hands-on experience with space solar cell selection/screening, encapsulation/lamination, or array electrical design.
• Working knowledge of array performance prediction (BOL/EOL, radiation and thermal effects) and power budgeting.
• Experience with array or coupon qualification, including environmental test (TVAC, vibration, thermal cycling).
• Strong systems-level thinking across electrical, mechanical, thermal, and power domains.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the technical owner for photovoltaic systems — cells, encapsulation, and array electrical architecture.
• Lead solar cell selection and qualification, including procurement specifications, screening, and radiation/thermal performance characterization.
• Build and manage partnerships with solar cell vendors and manufacturers.
• Define array electrical architecture: string sizing, bypass diode strategy, grounding and bonding, layout.
• Optimize total system efficiency across mass, power, and cost at the array and spacecraft level.
• Develop and maintain array performance predictions and reconcile with test/on-orbit data.

Skills

Solar array design

Photovoltaics

Systems thinking

CAD

GD&T

BOMs

Test equipment

Python/MATLAB

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

CAD

PLM

Environmental test equipment

Job description

Muon Space seeks a Senior Photovoltaics / Solar Array Engineer to own the design, qualification, and sustainment of spacecraft photovoltaic systems. You will lead cell selection, encapsulation, and array architecture, partner with vendors, and optimize power, mass, and cost for missions.

You will work onsite in San Jose three days a week, collaborating with mechanical, thermal, and electrical teams to iterate on designs and ensure flight readiness across campaigns.