Senior Staff Thermal Analyst

CesiumAstro•El Segundo, CA

8d•$193,000 - $236,000

About The Position

CesiumAstro is seeking a Senior Staff Thermal Analyst to apply advanced structural engineering principles to the development and improvement of structural analysis methodologies, stress evaluation techniques, thermal analysis methods, and verification strategies for complex products and platforms. The role contributes to product development by resolving complex structural engineering challenges, evaluating thermal performance and thermal-structural interactions, advancing analytical methods, and serving as a primary technical resource across multiple programs. Its work supports structural integrity, reliability, manufacturability, quality, and mission success throughout the product development lifecycle, in collaboration with engineering, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, and operations teams. The position leads complex analysis, verification, qualification, validation, testing, technical investigations, and improvement initiatives. It also guides engineers and promotes consistent analysis practices across programs. Applicants must meet U.S. Government Space Technology Export Regulations eligibility: be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, conditional resident, asylee, or refugee (protected individuals as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)), or be eligible to obtain required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, civil engineering, or a related engineering field with 12–15 years of related experience; or a master's degree with 8–12 years; or a Ph.D. with 5–8 years of experience in structural analysis, stress analysis, finite element analysis, aerospace structures, or a related engineering discipline.
Applied knowledge of thermal analysis principles, heat transfer, thermal modeling, temperature distributions, and thermal-structural interactions.
In-depth knowledge of structural mechanics, stress analysis, mechanics of materials, finite element analysis (FEA), and advanced structural verification methodologies.
Extensive experience performing static, dynamic, vibration, fatigue, fracture, buckling, nonlinear, and thermal stress analyses across multiple engineering programs.
Comprehensive understanding of material behavior, fracture mechanics, failure theories, margin-of-safety calculations, GD&T, manufacturing processes, and structural qualification requirements.
Ability to develop innovative solutions to complex structural engineering challenges and advance technical capabilities across multiple engineering efforts.
Sound judgment in guiding technical decisions, mentoring engineers, and advancing structural analysis methodologies.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams.
Proficiency with FEA, structural analysis, CAD, and engineering software such as ANSYS, Abaqus, Nastran, HyperMesh, Creo, or equivalent applications.
Experience with engineering documentation, PLM, ERP, and collaboration tools such as Windchill, SAP, Jira, or equivalent applications.
Must meet the stated U.S. Government Space Technology Export Regulations eligibility requirements or be eligible to obtain required U.S. Department of State authorizations.

Responsibilities

Develop structural analysis methodologies, verification strategies, and engineering solutions across products and engineering programs.
Evaluate load paths, stress distributions, fatigue life, fracture behavior, buckling stability, vibration response, thermal stresses, and structural integrity.
Lead complex engineering calculations, finite element analyses, nonlinear analyses, margin-of-safety assessments, and design trade studies.
Perform thermal analyses involving heat transfer, temperature distributions, thermal loads, and thermal-structural interactions.
Lead complex structural verification, qualification, validation, and testing activities.
Evaluate engineering data, analytical models, test results, inspection findings, and structural performance, and develop solutions to improve reliability and product performance.
Guide root-cause investigations, engineering changes, corrective actions, and structural improvements supporting product development and manufacturing.
Correlate thermal models with test data and evaluate temperature-related performance to support thermal verification and design improvements.
Serve as a primary technical resource for structural and stress analysis across significant engineering and manufacturing initiatives.
Provide structural engineering guidance in design reviews, engineering investigations, manufacturing reviews, supplier evaluations, and complex technical problem resolution.
Mentor engineers and support continuous improvement initiatives to promote consistent structural analysis practices.
Advance structural analysis methodologies, verification practices, engineering standards, and analytical techniques across multiple programs.
Evaluate analysis methods, finite element models, verification processes, and emerging analytical technologies to identify improvement opportunities.
Lead initiatives to enhance structural integrity, reliability, manufacturability, quality, analytical accuracy, and engineering effectiveness.