Senior Manager, Hardware Reliability & Test

📋 Job Overview

Muon is seeking a Senior Manager to lead and build our Hardware Reliability & Test organization. This team partners with every hardware function to ensure consistent qualification across our platforms, owns a holistic system reliability narrative, and provides the frameworks, tooling, and shared resources for testing Muon hardware from module level through fully assembled spacecraft. You will grow and lead teams spanning Reliability & Qualification, Spacecraft Acceptance Test & Test Framework Engineering, and Test Support Resources. This position is hybrid and requires working on-site in our San Jose, CA office three days per week.

🏢 About Muon Space

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.

🎯 The Role

Build, lead, and grow the Hardware Reliability & Test organization across its three functions. Own vehicle and subsystem qualification: partner with subsystem and bus owners to define test conditions and levels, and ensure consistency across platforms. Refine and own quantitative reliability models, identifying gaps in data and proposing additional test to better inform our designs. Own Muon's hardware test frameworks, standards, results databases, and tooling, from module-level through spacecraft-level test. Deliver standard, shared spacecraft-level tests that can be easily tailored per mission. Provide shared hardware, software, and logistical resources supporting qualification, reliability, and lifetime testing across the hardware org. Partner with Systems Engineering and Business Development to demonstrate our systems meet customer requirements. Communicate reliability posture and test status to leadership and customers.

✅ Key Responsibilities

• Build, lead, and grow the Hardware Reliability & Test organization across its three functions
• Own vehicle and subsystem qualification: partner with subsystem and bus owners to define test conditions and levels, and ensure consistency across platforms
• Refine and own quantitative reliability models, identifying gaps in data and proposing additional test to better inform our designs
• Own Muon's hardware test frameworks, standards, results databases, and tooling, from module-level through spacecraft-level test
• Deliver standard, shared spacecraft-level tests that can be easily tailored per mission
• Provide shared hardware, software, and logistical resources supporting qualification, reliability, and lifetime testing across the hardware org
• Partner with Systems Engineering and Business Development to demonstrate our systems meet customer requirements
• Communicate reliability posture and test status to leadership and customers

📌 Required Qualifications

• Hands-on experience qualifying complex hardware for spaceflight or similarly demanding environments (thermal, vacuum, vibration, EMI/EMC)
• B.S. in Electrical, Mechanical, Aerospace Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field
• 10+ years of experience in hardware test, qualification, or reliability engineering, including 3+ years leading engineering teams
• Proven ability to define processes and drive consistency across multiple engineering teams
• Working knowledge of reliability analysis methods (e.g., FMEA, fault trees, statistical reliability modeling)
• Familiarity with software-driven test frameworks and automated test infrastructure
• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• Excited to work in a fast-paced environment with new challenges each week

⭐ Desirable Experience

• Advanced degree or experience in engineering, reliability, or a related field
• Experience with spacecraft environmental test standards (e.g., NASA GEVS, SMC-S-016)
• Experience standing up new teams, processes, or test capabilities
• Experience with test data pipelines and results databases at scale
• Experience applying industry reliability standards (e.g., MIL-HDBK-217, ECSS, ISO 26262, or AEC-Q component qualification)

🎁 Benefits

The salary range for this role is $202,000 - $223,000, 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. 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.

🛂 Visa & Eligibility

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.