Senior Space Solar Array Engineer (Onsite in San Jose)

Muon Space; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 183,000 - 198,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity compensation

Medical, dental, vision insurance

401k retirement plan

Paid vacation and holidays

Job summary

Muon Space in San Jose, CA seeks a Senior Photovoltaics / Solar Array Engineer to own the design, qualification, and sustainment of photovoltaic systems powering our spacecraft. You will lead cell selection, encapsulation, and array architecture, and partner with vendors to balance power, mass, and cost while delivering reliable hardware.

This hands-on role requires onsite work three days a week and offers pathways to scale hardware from prototypes to constellation deployments, with

Qualifications

• 8+ years designing, building, and testing high-reliability hardware, including 5+ years with solar arrays or photovoltaic systems.
• Hands-on experience with solar cell selection, encapsulation/lamination, or array electrical design.
• Experience with array performance prediction and power budgeting.
• Experience with environmental tests (TVAC, vibration, thermal cycling).
• Strong cross-functional collaboration and documentation skills.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the technical owner for photovoltaic systems for assigned missions.
• Lead solar cell selection, qualification, and transmission of procurement specs.
• Build partnerships with solar cell vendors and manufacturers.
• Define array electrical architecture: string sizing, diode strategy, grounding, and layout.
• Optimize total system efficiency balancing mass, power, and cost.
• Develop array performance predictions and reconcile with test/on-orbit data.
• Own encapsulation, lamination, and bonding processes; drive yield improvements.
• Manage array and coupon qualification, including environmental tests.
• Collaborate with mechanical/thermal engineers on design iterations.
• Document photovoltaics best practices and contribute to design reviews.
• Mentor junior engineers and scale to constellation quantities.

Skills

Solar cell physics

System-level thinking

Vendor collaboration

Technical ownership

CAD tools

GD&T

Design reviews

Communication

Education

B.S. or higher in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or related field

Tools

CAD

PLM

Test equipment

Python

MATLAB

Job description

Muon Space in San Jose, CA seeks a Senior Photovoltaics / Solar Array Engineer to own the design, qualification, and sustainment of photovoltaic systems powering our spacecraft. You will lead cell selection, encapsulation, and array architecture, and partner with vendors to balance power, mass, and cost while delivering reliable hardware.

This hands-on role requires onsite work three days a week and offers pathways to scale hardware from prototypes to constellation deployments, with