Staff Mission Formulation Lead- EO/IR

About the role

Muon Space is seeking a creative and technically rigorous Staff Mission Formulation Lead - EO/IR to join our Mission Innovation team. In this high-impact role, you will lead strategic capture efforts and drive exploration of new market opportunities for Muon Space through strategic foresight practices and innovative mission formulations, instrument capabilities, and space technologies.

You will act as a critical bridge across technical expertise and business development to identify, develop, and capture high-value opportunities in emerging space markets including commercial, government, and philanthropic missions.

You will not just be running existing pipelines; you will be the scientific engine and creative force exploring new applications of Muon technologies, developing advanced concepts, and engaging directly with customers to discover the missions of tomorrow.

Operating at the earliest stages of the business lifecycle, you will hypothesize and validate how Muon's unique capabilities can solve critical challenges for defense, intelligence, philanthropic, and commercial end-users.

Responsibilities

• Lead execution of mission formulation contracts, drive cross-functional team to deliver mission concepts, documentation, and support customer engagement and growth in EO/IR domains.
• Lead strategic capture campaigns for high-value mission opportunities across government and commercial sectors related to EO/IR and other optical remote sensing disciplines.
• Drive execution of complex, multi-stage programs from early engagement and formulation through to design concepts and end-to-end mission execution and delivery.
• Drive and support early-stage execution of R&D activities/proposals as Principal Investigator.
• Lead creation of technical proposals, white papers, and concept studies that articulate the differentiation and mission utility of Muon's offerings and drive R&D roadmaps.
• Perform feasibility studies, literature reviews, and trade studies to support development of early-stage mission, instrument, and data concepts.
• Support customer discovery and engagement efforts, translating operational pain points and needs into technical requirements and conceptual solutions.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with product management, business development, and engineering teams to identify and develop new markets, products, and technologies.

Qualifications

• B.S., M.S., or Ph.D. in Physics, Remote Sensing, Earth Science, Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical/scientific field.
• 7+ years of experience in Earth remote sensing mission and/or instrument development.
• Strong foundation in first principles with demonstrated ability to decompose high level mission objectives to technical concepts and solutions.
• Background in infrared, multispectral, hyperspectral, or similar remote sensing phenomenologies
• Experience in EO/IR and related space missions across government and commercial markets.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to distill complex scientific concepts for diverse audiences.
• Strong collaborative skills for working across disciplines including engineering, satellite operations, mission architecture, and business development.
• Existing TS/SCI clearance or ability to obtain and maintain.

Nice-to-have Skills

• Proficiency in programming (e.g., Python, MATLAB, Julia) for space mission analysis and remote sensing concept development.
• Familiarity with early-stage business development and discovery processes.
• Training or demonstrated experience in strategic planning, roadmapping, or scenario planning.
• Familiarity with space systems development, especially satellite remote sensing.

Salary

The salary range for this role is $187,000 - $223,000, plus incentive compensation, 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.

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.