Quality Engineer, Mechanical

About the role

Muon seeks a Mechanical Quality Engineer to join our team.  The ideal candidate is a hands-on, seasoned professional passionate about aerospace manufacturing, with a strong commitment to production and quality assurance for high-reliability spaceflight hardware. You will play a key role in developing, implementing, and maintaining our quality programs, ensuring our satellites meet the highest standards of accuracy, reliability, quality, and safety. This is a mechanical-based role: you will own quality across machined parts and mechanical assemblies from incoming inspection through integration and test.

This position is fully onsite and requires working in our San Jose, CA office five days a week.

Responsibilities

• Inspection and Testing: Plan, execute, and oversee the inspection, integration, and testing of satellites and their sub-assemblies down to component-level hardware. Verify conformance to internal specifications, engineering drawings, and GD&T per ASME Y14.5. Perform dimensional inspection and mechanical fit checks, apply working knowledge of thread inserts, and support necessary testing.  
• Nonconformance & Corrective Action Management: Lead nonconformance root-cause analysis and disposition corrective actions. Develop, maintain, and lead nonconformance and corrective action record tracking systems. Work directly with our in-house machine shop, our Supplier Quality Engineers, and vendors during corrective action investigations. 
• Quality Management System & Documentation: Help build out and maintain our Quality Management System, driving continuous improvement as we scale. Author internal specifications, workmanship standards, and work instructions. Interpret, build upon, and comply with the company's quality assurance standards, while developing and implementing new standards for production and design. Document quality assurance activities through internal reporting and audits, and maintain quality control documentation including quality plans, inspection records, test reports, and nonconformance reports.
• Process Improvement: Analyze and build upon our inspection, nonconformance management, and assembly processes for our mechanical hardware to identify areas where quality can be improved and drive corrective actions.
• Compliance and Standards: Ensure that all processes adhere to industry standards (e.g., ISO 9001, AS9100) and regulatory requirements specific to aerospace and spacecraft manufacturing, including material and process considerations for the space environment such as outgassing and thermal properties. 
• Data Analysis: Collect and analyze data from tests, inspections, and audits to monitor quality trends and provide insights to improve product quality, utilizing quality management software or data analysis platforms.
• Collaboration and Training: Partner with mechanical and electrical design, manufacturing, and test engineers to resolve quality issues and ensure our mechanical hardware integrates properly with electrical hardware. Provide training and support to team members on GD&T, internal standards, and inspection criteria as well as our systems, policies, procedures, and core processes.
• Supplier Audits: Participate in the supplier audit program, including audit planning, execution, and follow-up. Perform on-site and remote audits of current and prospective suppliers to assess quality systems, process capability, and compliance. Work with existing suppliers on identified nonconformances and gaps in their processes. 

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Physics, or a related field.
• 5+ years experience in Quality Engineering, Quality Assurance, or manufacturing. 
• Willingness to travel up to 40% to supplier sites as needed for audits, FAIs, and corrective action support. 
• Strong working knowledge of GD&T (ASME Y14.5) and the ability to read and interpret mechanical drawings and specifications. 
• Experience with dimensional inspection methods and equipment (calipers, micrometers, go/no-go gauges, optical/laser scanning).
• Deep knowledge of quality assurance terminology, methods, and tools.
• Demonstrated knowledge of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), part & document control, and defect management processes.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Proficiency with data management and reporting software, including MES & PLM. 
• Familiarity with aerospace industry standards such as AS9100, ISO 9001, or similar.
• Experience in a cleanroom manufacturing environment related to aerospace or engineering, or a highly regulated environment.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Salary

The salary range for this role is $139,000 - $157,000, 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.