Manager, Instrument AIT

About the role

Muon seeks a Manager of Instrument Assembly, Integration, and Test (AIT) to build, mentor, and guide a multidisciplinary team of optical integration engineers, optical and camera test engineers, and optomechanical technicians. In this role, you will establish the technical standards, assembly flows, optical ground support equipment architectures, and test automation frameworks for our multispectral thermal IR instruments. As a technical leader and functional manager, you will define the standards for precision optical alignment, optomechanical integration, camera characterization, and environmental qualification, while ensuring seamless collaboration across Instrument Systems, Design, and Delivery. While your primary focus is leadership, technical governance, and capability building, you will retain the deep engineering background required to contribute directly to critical optical alignment operations, test campaigns, and anomaly investigations.

This position is fully onsite and requires working in our Mountain View, CA office 5x days a week.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and coordinate a high-performing team of optical integration and test engineers, camera test engineers, and optomechanical technicians, managing hiring, day-to-day floor tasking, and skill development across programs.
• Establish test architecture standards, test automation frameworks, and data processing pipelines for subsystem- and instrument-level optical characterization.
• Oversee the design, procurement, integration, and validation of optical ground support equipment (GSE), including collimators, integrating spheres, test sources, and automated test benches.
• Own the development and execution of procedures for precision optomechanical assembly, optical alignment (e.g. using interferometers, collimators, laser trackers), and critical bonding operations.
• Translate system-level Verification and Validation (V&V) and calibration requirements into executable test procedures, and lead root cause analysis efforts for hardware or performance anomalies.
• Drive execution of environmental qualification campaigns (including thermal vacuum/TVAC and vibration) for subsystems and instrument systems.
• Coordinate closely with Instrument Delivery to align hardware build flows with cleanroom operations, facility scheduling, and safety protocols.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. and 3+ years of experience developing imaging systems and remote sensing instruments; or M.S. and 6+ years industry experience; or B.S. and 8+ years industry experience in optical engineering, optomechanical engineering, physics, or a related field, including technical leadership roles as a plus.
• Hands-on experience leading or executing assembly, integration, and test (AIT) campaigns for space optical instruments, infrared remote sensing payloads, or complex electro-optical systems.
• Demonstrated experience with precision optical metrology equipment, including interferometers, collimators, laser trackers, and optical test sources.
• Programming proficiency in Python specifically applied to instrument test automation, hardware control, and scientific data analysis.
• Experience planning and executing environmental qualification testing, specifically thermal vacuum (TVAC) and vibration testing in cleanroom environments.
• Proven track record of defining structured optomechanical build flows, alignment strategies, and automated hardware test procedures.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and leadership skills, with demonstrated capability in directing day-to-day tasking for floor technicians and cross-functional engineers.
• Willingness and ability to obtain security clearance strongly preferred.

Nice-to-have Skills

• Basic proficiency in CAD (SolidWorks preferred) for designing GSE test fixtures, alignment adapters, or handling equipment.
• Experience working within matrixed engineering organizations and establishing clear facility operational boundaries.
• Familiarity with optical design tools (Zemax, Code V) and STOP analysis interpretation to support test anomaly root cause investigations.
• Experience supporting integrated spacecraft-level environmental testing or launch campaigns.

Salary

The salary range for this role is $184,000 - $202,000, plus a competitive equity grant and comprehensive benefits package. Final compensation will be based on skills, qualifications, experience, and geographic location as assessed during the interview process