How to apply for Senior Mission Formulation Lead - RF/Comms

About Muon Space

Muon Space builds Earth-sensing satellite technology focused on climate action. The company works across commercial, government, and philanthropic missions. This role sits in the Mission Innovation team, at the earliest stage of the business lifecycle, so you would shape new business rather than run existing pipelines.

About the role

You lead mission formulation contracts and strategic capture campaigns in RF and communications domains. You act as a bridge between technical work and business development, exploring new applications of Muon technology and validating them with customers in defense, intelligence, philanthropic, and commercial markets. The job is fully remote and full-time.

A typical day

A typical day could include working with a cross-functional team on a mission concept for an RF or comms opportunity, meeting a government or commercial customer to test assumptions, and drafting capture strategy for a high-value pursuit. Because the team works at the earliest business stage, much of the work is hypothesis-driven exploration rather than execution of existing programs. Ask the hiring team how they divide time between capture, customer engagement, and technical concept development.

Who Muon Space is looking for

• Has deep technical background in RF and communications systems, including remote sensing disciplines and instrument capabilities
• Has led capture efforts or bid campaigns for government and commercial space mission opportunities
• Can run cross-functional teams to deliver mission concepts and engage customers directly
• Is comfortable operating at the earliest stage of the business lifecycle, hypothesizing and validating new mission ideas rather than executing existing programs

Tips for this application

• Frame your experience around capture campaigns and mission formulation contracts, not just program execution or engineering delivery
• Name specific RF and comms domains you have worked in (for example: spectrum, link budgets, payload concepts, or remote sensing applications) so the reviewer can map your background to the role
• Show how you have bridged technical and business development work. Give examples of customer engagements that turned into funded opportunities
• Reference the customer types in the job description (defense, intelligence, philanthropic, commercial) and note which ones you have direct experience with
• Because the role is remote and cross-functional, mention how you have coordinated distributed technical and BD teams on capture efforts

What to cover in your cover letter

['A specific capture campaign or mission formulation contract you led in RF or comms, including the outcome', 'Your technical depth in RF and communications and how it lets you evaluate new mission concepts credibly', 'Experience working with government and commercial customers at the early concept stage', "Why Muon Space's Earth-sensing and climate focus fits the markets you want to pursue"]

Research before applying

• Muon Space's current satellite programs and what sensors or RF capabilities they already fly or plan to fly
• The Mission Innovation team's public materials or talks, if any, to understand how they structure early-stage mission work
• Recent government and commercial RF/comms remote sensing contracts and solicitations relevant to small satellite providers
• Muon Space's customers and partners in climate, defense, and philanthropic sectors to understand the markets this role targets

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• Walk through a capture campaign you led from opportunity identification to award, and what you did at each stage
• How do you evaluate whether a new RF or comms mission concept is technically feasible and commercially viable?
• Describe a time you had to align engineering, BD, and a customer around an early-stage mission concept
• What RF and remote sensing disciplines do you know best, and where would you need to bring in other experts?
• How would you approach finding new mission opportunities for Muon Space in defense, intelligence, or philanthropic markets?

Common mistakes to avoid

• Presenting yourself as only an engineer or only a business developer. This role requires both, and the application should show both
• Using generic capture or proposal language without naming specific RF/comms domains, customers, or contract outcomes
• Ignoring the early-stage nature of the role and describing only experience running established programs or pipelines