Aerospace, Climate Tech, Satellite Technology, Data Analytics

Senior Manager, Test Operations

San Jose, CAOnsiteFull TimeManager / Head$185,000–$205,000 /yrPosted 1 month agoVisa sponsorship available

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Required skills

aerospace
spacecraft
defense
advanced manufacturing
complex hardware production
test operations
technicians
technical leads
staffing
shift coverage

Nice to have

spacecraft I&T operations
launch vehicle I&T operations
high-rate spacecraft production
satellite production
multiple spacecraft platforms
subsystem families

Role summary

Muon Space is seeking a Senior Manager of Test Operations to lead and scale its spacecraft and subsystem production test operations. This role involves managing test technicians, establishing processes, infrastructure, and organizational capabilities to support growing production volumes. Key responsibilities include leading teams, developing technicians, ensuring operational execution, industrializing test processes, improving efficiency (cycle time, utilization, throughput), and collaborating with cross-functional teams like Test Engineering, Manufacturing, and Quality. The ideal candidate will have 10+ years of experience in aerospace/manufacturing test operations and 5+ years in leadership roles, with a strong understanding of flight hardware handling, quality, and safety. Experience in scaling teams and processes in a growing production environment is crucial. This is a full-time, onsite position in San Jose, CA.

About the role

Muon Space is seeking a Senior Manager of Test Operations to lead and scale our Test Operations organization supporting growing spacecraft and subsystem production.

This role oversees Spacecraft Test Technicians and Subsystems Test Technicians, with responsibility for staffing, shift coverage, operational execution, technician development, test capacity, and production throughput. The Senior Manager will establish the processes, infrastructure, and organizational capabilities needed to support increasing production volume and evolving spacecraft architectures. You will work closely with Test Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, and Program Management to ensure test operations are safe, repeatable, efficient, and aligned with production priorities.

This role will also play a key role in industrializing test operations, including standardizing processes, developing scalable capacity models, improving cycle time and utilization, and transitioning new test capabilities from development into repeatable production operations.

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

Responsibilities

Lead, mentor, and develop Spacecraft and Subsystems Test Technicians and technical leads.

Establish staffing plans, shift coverage, skill matrices, and technician development paths.

Set daily operational priorities and drive consistent execution across teams and shifts.

Build a culture of safety, accountability, quality, and ownership of flight hardware.

Own day-to-day execution of spacecraft and subsystem test operations.

Ensure tests are performed using approved procedures, configurations, tooling, and acceptance criteria.

Partner with Test Engineering to transition new or immature tests into stable production operations.

Identify and resolve operational constraints, bottlenecks, and resource conflicts.

Develop and implement the operating model required to scale test operations with production volume.

Establish repeatable processes, standard work, training, and qualification requirements.

Develop capacity and labor models for stations, equipment, shifts, and future production demand.

Partner with Engineering and Manufacturing to design test infrastructure, stations, EGSE, tooling, and facilities for scalable production.

Identify opportunities to reduce test cycle time, improve utilization, and increase throughput.

Support the transition of new spacecraft platforms, subsystems, and test capabilities into production.

Build organizational capability through cross-training, workforce planning, and scalable team structures.

Establish and manage metrics for throughput, cycle time, utilization, schedule adherence, rework, and test capacity.

Drive daily management and continuous improvement across Test Operations.

Use operational data to identify constraints and prioritize investments in people, equipment, and infrastructure.

Support MRR, TRR, and production readiness activities.

Ensure operational readiness for new programs, facilities, test stations, and production lines.

Qualifications

10+ years of experience in aerospace, spacecraft, defense, advanced manufacturing, or complex hardware production and test.

5+ years leading technical, production, integration, or test organizations.

Experience directly leading technicians and hands-on technical teams.

Experience with spacecraft, subsystem, avionics, electrical, functional, or environmental test operations.

Demonstrated experience scaling teams, processes, and infrastructure in a growing production environment.

Experience with workforce planning, staffing models, shift operations, and technician development.

Strong understanding of flight hardware handling, configuration control, quality, safety, and hardware protection.

Demonstrated ability to improve throughput, cycle time, utilization, and schedule performance.

Strong cross-functional communication and leadership skills.

Nice-to-have Skills

Spacecraft or launch vehicle I&T operations.

High-rate spacecraft or satellite production.

Experience supporting multiple spacecraft platforms or subsystem families.

Multi-shift production operations.

Technician qualification programs, skills matrices, and career ladders.

Experience scaling contractor and/or contingent workforces.

Test stations, EGSE, tooling, fixtures, and instrumentation.

Environmental test operations including vibration and TVAC.

Digital work instructions, MES, production dashboards, or electronic travelers.

Capacity modeling and infrastructure planning.

Lean/Six Sigma or other continuous improvement methodologies.

MRR, TRR, PRR, and production readiness processes.

Experience industrializing development test processes into repeatable production operations.

Salary

The salary range for this role is $185,000 - $205,000, 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. We also offer three weeks paid vacation for new employees, along with 12 paid holidays, unlimited sick time and 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. We encourage you to apply, even if you don't check all the boxes, and we look forward to reviewing your application! 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

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.

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