Sr. Staff Thermal Engineer - Aircraft Avionics & Thermal Systems (Aerospace)

Location: On-site in Dallas, Texas; Boston, Massachusetts; or San Diego, California, United States

Salary: $136,730–$205,096 per year, plus bonus, benefits, and equity for regular employees

Company

hirify.global is a venture-backed defense technology company developing intelligent systems, including Hivemind autonomy software, V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, and simulation technologies.

What you will do

• Lead thermal analysis and design for unmanned aerial vehicle avionics and aircraft thermal and fluid systems.
• Develop and validate heat-transfer and fluid-flow models using hand calculations, numerical methods, and CFD tools such as FloEFD.
• Plan tests, define instrumentation, analyze data, and correlate models with experimental results.
• Present technical findings through executive briefings, design reviews, and written reports.
• Identify risks, propose solutions, and influence electrical and PCBA design direction.
• Contribute to design decisions, mentor peers, and bridge multiple technical disciplines.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related discipline.
• At least 7 years of professional experience in avionics or electronics thermal engineering.
• Expertise in heat transfer, fluid mechanics, active and passive cooling, and component- and system-level thermal integration.
• Experience with thermal management elements including TIMs, spreaders, heat sinks, vapor chambers, heat pipes, and fans.
• Proficiency with thermal analysis, CFD, and CAD tools such as ANSYS Icepak, FloEFD, STAR-CCM+, NX, or SolidWorks.
• Strong first-principles problem-solving, technical communication, leadership, and stakeholder presentation skills; ability to obtain an S//SAR-level security clearance is desired.

Nice to have

• Master’s or Ph.D. in a relevant engineering discipline.
• Experience with high-altitude aircraft avionics cooling and thermal design.
• Knowledge of aircraft integration constraints, thermal and fluid-system testing, instrumentation, materials, and manufacturing methods.
• Experience with trade studies, proposals, customer interactions, and aerospace or defense programs.
• Background in multidisciplinary integration across avionics, fluid systems, and systems engineering.

Culture & Benefits

• Mission-driven work focused on protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems.
• Fast-paced startup environment with opportunities to learn and adapt to new tools and challenges.
• Regular employees receive benefits, bonus eligibility, and equity.
• Offers are contingent on a cleared background and may include a reference check.
• Equal opportunity workplace with reasonable accommodation available for disabilities or special needs.