Sr. Thermal Design Engineer

Team & Role:

You will be joining the SAR Antenna Unit (SAU) team as a Senior Thermal Design & Analysis Engineer. You will own the complete thermal architecture of the SAR Antenna Unit, ensuring stability, performance, and reliability from concept definition through on-orbit validation.

Responsibilities:

• Develop detailed orbital thermal models (steady-state & transient).
• Perform high-fidelity thermal simulations for gradients, distortions, and thermo-elastic effects.
• Conduct coupled thermal-structural analysis for dimensional stability.
• Define and implement thermal control strategies (MLI, coatings, heaters, isolators).
• Establish temperature, distortion, and alignment budgets aligned with RF performance.
• Support deployable antenna design with thermal expansion evaluations.
• Develop and validate Thermal Mathematical Models (TMM) and correlate with TVAC test data.
• Support environmental testing (thermal balance, TVAC, vibration-thermal interaction).
• Collaborate with RF, structural, AIT, and Bus teams for compatibility.
• Generate and present reports for PDR, CDR, TRR, and QR reviews.
• Drive root-cause analysis for thermal anomalies and corrective iterations.
• Mentor junior engineers in thermal modelling and best practices.

Requirements

Must-have Qualifications:

• 3–6 years of hands-on experience in spacecraft or aerospace thermal design & analysis.
• Strong expertise in orbital thermal analysis and spacecraft environments.
• Proficiency in Simcenter 3D (thermal & coupled thermal-structural analysis).
• Deep understanding of thermo-elastic distortion and dimensional stability.
• Strong knowledge of passive & active thermal control techniques.
• Experience correlating thermal models with thermal balance and TVAC test data.
• Solid understanding of aerospace materials and thermal properties (CTE, conductivity, emissivity).
• Ability to translate RF performance constraints into thermal/mechanical design requirements (efficient thermal dissipation from IC and RF PCBs, EMI/EMC of the enclosure, etc)
• Strong technical documentation and design review participation.

Good-to-have:

• Experience with radar or high-frequency RF payloads.
• Familiarity with deployable structures.
• Working knowledge of structural FEA workflows in Simcenter 3D (NX Nastran).
• Experience designing thermal aspects of test support equipment.
• Exposure to spacecraft Bus thermal interface design.
• Experience with heater control electronics and sensor placement strategies.
• Background in thermal-optical property characterization.
• Prior flight hardware qualification experience.
• Experience in fast-paced private aerospace or new-space environments.

What We Look For:

• Ownership mindset and ability to lead complex thermal design efforts.
• Curiosity and eagerness to solve multidisciplinary challenges.
• Adaptability to fast-paced start-up environments.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Passion for aerospace and enthusiasm to contribute to real-world satellite missions.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation aligned with market standards.
• Experience rapid growth in a start-up culture.
• Flexible working hours.
• Opportunity to work closely with the Founding Team.
• Mentorship from advisors with decades of aerospace experience.