Senior Thermal Engineer

Varda Space Industries • El Segundo, CA

2d • Onsite

About The Position

Low Earth orbit is open for business . Varda is accelerating the development of commercial space infrastructure, from in-orbit pharmaceutical processing to reliable and economical reentry capsules. From life-saving pharmaceuticals to more powerful fiber optics, there is a world of products used on Earth today that can only be manufactured in space. Varda is accelerating innovation in the orbital economy by creating both the products and infrastructure needed so space can directly benefit life on Earth. Our mission is to expand the economic bounds of humankind. Our team is uniquely suited to accomplishing this goal, with leadership and staff comprised of veterans from SpaceX, Blue Origin, major pharmaceutical companies and Silicon Valley. Varda was founded in January 2021 by Will Bruey and Delian Asparouhov with significant backing from world class investors including Khosla Ventures, Lux Capital, Founders Fund, Caffeinated Capital, General Catalyst, and Also Capital. Varda is headquartered in El Segundo, California, where we have offices and a production facility where our vehicles, equipment, and materials are built, integrated, and tested. Varda also has offices in Washington, DC and Huntsville, AL. Join Varda, and work to create a bustling in-space ecosystem. About This Role The Senior Thermal Analysis Engineer serves as a key member of the vehicle engineering team to develop thermal system architectures, generate flight predictions, and inform mission operations to survive all environments through all mission phases from ascent to reentry. This position drives spacecraft hardware design and testing from the vehicle level down to the component level.  It is a highly team-oriented role with exposure to all aspects of spacecraft analysis, design, test, performance validation, integration, and operations. As a senior thermal analyst, a thorough understanding and experience in active and passive thermal control systems are essential. You will often flex between quick hand calculations and detailed analysis to support program needs and determine associated vehicle impact and risk. You will also contribute to thermal team data processing and documentation workflows to ensure a robust system as we scale in vehicle production and mission operations. A proactive problem-solving approach and commitment to meeting tight schedules are critical to support Varda's goals of expanding manufacturing capabilities and reentry systems. When you join our team, you will be side by side with curious innovators and relentless problem solvers. You will interface with internal and external stakeholders as a technical authority in the physics of heat and mass transfer. Clear and thorough verbal and written communication is fundamental for individual and team success.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, or related Engineering 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 and troubleshooting in programs such as Thermal Desktop, SINDA/FLUINT, ANSYS, MSC Nastran.
• 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.
• Ability to structure open ended problems and perform initial sizing with hand calcs.
• Experience in 0D and 1D thermal and/or fluid networks.
• Familiarity with thermal margins and test requirements in SMC-S-016
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with an aptitude for interdisciplinary technical communication (structures, avionics, software, production, GNC, etc.)
• Ability to successfully respond to evolving requirements in a fast-moving organization

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.
• Familiarity with typical spacecraft thermal control technologies (e.g. heat pipes, pumped fluid systems, thermal blankets, optical coatings, etc.)
• Experience in thermal design and analysis of reentry systems
• Project management or project leadership experience

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain integrated thermal analysis models for Varda’s space vehicles.
• Ensure spacecraft thermal design includes passive and active means of controlling the vehicle system and component environments within operating and survival limits during all mission phases.
• Seek solutions that provide operational simplicity and system robustness.
• Create and maintain tools/systems for pre- and post-processing thermal analysis.
• Work collaboratively with other spacecraft disciplines to define thermal hardware requirements, such as optical properties, conductances, insulation, passive and/or active thermal control, vehicle attitude control, etc.
• Predict thermal loads and inform component level acceptance and qualification tests.
• Provide thermal guidance to vehicle level testing, such as thermal bakeout, Vehicle-In-The-Loop (VITL), Thruster Hot Fire, etc.
• Plan and execute vehicle level Thermal Vacuum (TVac) testing for future vehicles.
• Publish flight temperature and active thermal control predictions and provide thermal guidance to hardware teams, energy budget, and mission operations.
• Anchor thermal models to vehicle level Thermal Vacuum (TVac) testing and/or flight data to assess performance and improve thermal models.
• Define Multi-Layer Insulation (MLI) blanket design, fabrication, and installation.
• Work independently with minimal technical oversight
• Work open ended problems to inform technical decisions, balancing efficiency and fidelity.
• Mentor junior engineers and serve as a technical peer reviewer.

Benefits

• Exciting team of professionals at the top of their field working by your side
• 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: Mid Level