Senior Thermal Engineer

Varda Space Industries • El Segundo, CA

3h • $133,650 - $175,000 • Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Thermal Analysis Engineer serves as a key member of the vehicle engineering team. You will develop and maintain thermal system architectures and collaborate cross-functionally with hardware, production, software, and mission ops to ensure vehicle health and performance through all mission phases. Your work directly influences the design and performance of Varda’s spacecraft and will often flex between quick evaluations and high-fidelity analysis. You will also contribute to thermal modeling and data processing workflows to build more efficient and robust systems as we scale in vehicle cadence. A proactive problem-solving approach and commitment to meeting tight schedules are critical to supporting Varda's goals of expanding in-space manufacturing. We are on a mission to develop engineering systems for life-changing products in microgravity for patients on Earth and are looking for skilled and driven teammates to help us get there.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, or related discipline with a minimum of 5+ years of related professional experience, or a Master's degree in a related engineering discipline and 3+ years of related professional experience
• Experience and knowledge in developing passive and active thermal control systems
• Proficiency in detailed thermal analysis in Thermal Desktop, SINDA/FLUINT
• Experience anchoring thermal models to test and/or flight data
• Experience in planning and executing Thermal Vacuum Chamber (TVac) testing
• Experience in MATLAB (or equivalent) for data processing and task automation
• Familiarity with thermal margins and qualification test requirements in SMC-S-016
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with an aptitude for interdisciplinary technical communication

Nice To Haves

• 7-10+ years of related professional work experience
• Experience of an entire spacecraft vehicle lifecycle, from initial concept, design development, production, integration, and test to mission operations
• Experience in thermal design and analysis of reentry systems
• A track record of taking ownership of projects and delivering results in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain integrated thermal analysis models for Varda’s space vehicles
• Create and maintain tools/systems for model and flight data processing
• Ensure the spacecraft remains within operating and survival limits during all mission phases via passive and active thermal control
• Collaborate with other spacecraft disciplines to drive hardware, software, and/or con-ops improvements
• Plan, execute, and anchor models to Thermal Vacuum (TVac) testing
• Guide vehicle-level testing, such as thermal bakeout, Vehicle-In-The-Loop (VITL), propulsion hot fire, etc
• Work independently with minimal technical oversight
• Mentor junior engineers and serve as a technical peer reviewer

Benefits

• Equity in a fully funded space startup with potential for significant growth (interns excluded)
• 401(k) matching (interns excluded)
• Unlimited PTO (interns excluded)
• Health insurance, including Vision and Dental
• Lunch and snacks provided on site every day. Dinners provided twice a week.
• Maternity / Paternity leave (interns excluded)

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior