Senior Thermal Control System Design Engineer (Aerospace)

TL;DR

Senior Thermal Control System Design Engineer (Aerospace): Developing, implementing, and testing active and passive thermal control systems for high-power satellite platforms with an accent on fluid loops, heat pipes, and thermo-mechanical instrumentation. Focus on designing build flows, conducting thermal-vacuum testing campaigns, and ensuring manufacturability for large-scale spacecraft production.

Location: Must be based in Los Angeles, CA (Onsite)

Salary: $140,000–$250,000

Company

A Series C space startup building the largest and highest-power satellites ever flown to support missions from LEO to deep space.

What you will do

• Design active and passive thermal control systems using heat transfer and mechanical principles.
• Plan and execute thermal cycle and thermal-vacuum (TVAC) testing campaigns.
• Develop heater and cooling control architectures and data acquisition systems.
• Setup, commission, and maintain state-of-the-art test stands and instrumentation.
• Troubleshoot electrical and mechanical test setups and hardware.
• Create formal documentation including test procedures, reports, and standard operating procedures.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Person (citizen, permanent resident, or protected individual) due to ITAR regulations.
• 5+ years of experience with thermal testing in a high-rate manufacturing environment.
• 2+ years of experience sizing and testing fluid systems (pumps, valves, accumulators, cold plates).
• Demonstrated experience with data acquisition for thermal and power applications.
• Strong experience with TVAC testing, instrumentation, and troubleshooting.
• Experience with test plan development and execution.

Nice to have

• Experience with Thermal Desktop for thermal analysis.
• Proficiency in NX or AutoCAD for fixture design.
• Experience with signal conditioning and signal-to-noise ratio optimization.
• Experience with avionics or refrigeration systems testing.

Culture & Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• Paid time off and paid parental leave.
• Equity in the company.
• Opportunity to work on groundbreaking space technology in a fast-paced startup environment.