Senior Technical Program Manager, Propulsion

Climactic; San Jose (CA); Hybrid; USD 206,000 - 232,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity grant

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401k retirement plan

Paid vacation

Job summary

Muon Space is seeking a Senior Technical Program Manager, Propulsion, to lead end-to-end planning for propulsion development, manufacturing and test. The role supports remote work from an approved location and collaborates with product, engineering, and manufacturing teams.

You will own the propulsion roadmap, balance timelines, and drive production readiness while maintaining clear communication with leadership and customers. A background in space systems and testing is highly valued.

Qualifications

• 5+ years working in engineering or program management environments.
• A relevant degree in engineering, physical sciences, or a related technical field.
• Proven track record navigating complex organization levels, balancing tight timelines, and resolving competing goals across different functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Own the full propulsion program roadmap across development, testing, procurement and production.
• Bridge products and programs with the product group to execute the roadmap smoothly.
• Drive thruster production by coordinating supply chains, kitting and upgrades.
• Maintain clear team communication across engineering leads, managers, and executives.
• Manage customer relationships and provide transparent updates to propulsion customers.
• Translate mission specs into clear test priorities and actionable plans.
• Integrate propulsion with other hardware teams and coordinate with machine shop and electrical efforts.
• Advocate for industry trends and Muon Space's strategic direction.

Skills

Program management

Engineering experience

Cross-functional leadership

Space propulsion

Test planning

Education

Engineering degree

Tools

Manufacturing coordination

Job description

Senior Technical Program Manager, Propulsion

San Jose, CA

About The Role

Muon seeks a Senior Technical Program Manager - Propulsion Systems to lead the end-to-end planning of the development, manufacturing and test of our propulsion systems. This role may be worked remotely from an approved location.

Responsibilities

• Mastering program schedules: You will own the full propulsion program roadmap. That means staying ahead of the curve across development, testing, parts procurement, and assembly, then mapping all of that into an active production flow while knowing exactly when hardware is "good enough" to move forward.
• Bridging products and programs: You will serve as the primary link to our product group, helping guide strategic product decisions and making sure the overall roadmap gets executed without a hitch.
• Driving thruster production: You will keep supply chains steady and kitting organized, track timeline needs for specific spacecraft missions, cut through organizational friction to keep production moving, and decide on pragmatic timing for introducing product upgrades.
• Maintaining clear team communication: You will keep dialogue flowing across engineering leads, managers, and executives to minimize unexpected surprises or crossed wires.
• Managing customer relationships: You will act as the point person for our thruster customers—understanding their pain points, sharing transparent updates, knowing when discretion is needed, and involving the broader propulsion engineering team only when required.
• Translating needs into test priorities: You will break down top-level mission specs into clear testing targets, pinpointing exactly what must be proven on the test stand and building realistic plans to validate it.
• Integrating across hardware teams: You will ensure propulsion works hand-in-hand with the rest of hardware—leveraging our machine shop, tapping mechanical engineering expertise, and coordinating sensible electrical integration efforts.
• Advocating for the big picture: You will keep an eye on industry trends, competitor moves, and market shifts to help make tough choices that drive Muon's overall success.

Qualifications

• 5+ years working in engineering or program management environments.
• A relevant degree in engineering, physical sciences, or a related technical field.
• Proven track record navigating complex organization levels, balancing tight timelines, and resolving competing goals across different functional teams.

Nice-to-have Skills

• Direct familiarity with space propulsion architectures and components.
• Hands-on exposure to space systems development or spacecraft integration.
• Practical work experience in test campaigns, hardware manufacturing, or production lines.

Salary

The salary range for this role is $206,000 - $232,000, 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.

• medical
• dental
• vision insurance
• 401k retirement plan
• short & long term disability
• life insurance
• three weeks paid vacation
• 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. 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

ITAR/EAR Requirements

• 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.