Senior Thermal Engineer

Castelion Corporation•Torrance, CA

About The Position

As a Senior Thermal Engineer at Castelion, you will own the thermal engineering methodology across our missile systems. You will define thermal architectures, develop high-fidelity thermal models, and use first-principles analysis, simulation, and hardware testing to ensure our vehicles perform reliably in some of the most demanding thermal environments imaginable. You'll work across aerodynamics, structures, electrical, propulsion, systems, manufacturing, and test engineering to develop integrated thermal solutions from concept through flight. Your work will span transient mission analysis, electronic unit thermal management, specialized ground testing, and flight-test instrumentation and data analysis. This role is ideal for an engineer who enjoys moving fluidly between analytical models, real hardware, and flight data—and who wants to directly influence vehicle architecture and design decisions from day one.

Requirements

BS or higher degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or Applied Physics
In-depth understanding of heat transfer, fluid dynamics, and high-temperature environments
5+ years of experience in aerospace thermal engineering on rocket, spacecraft, aircraft, or missile programs
Experience with electronic unit thermal analysis and control to component junctions
Ground testing experience with thermal instrumentation and data acquisition
Strong programming skills in MATLAB, Python, or similar for tool development
Experience preparing formal documentation
CAD experience with SolidWorks or Siemens NX
Ability to obtain and hold a U.S. security clearance
U.S. citizenship is required

Nice To Haves

MS or higher degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or Applied Physics with focus on heat transfer and fluid dynamics
Experience with material ablation response modeling in extreme thermal environments
Knowledge of material degradation and surface phenomena under demanding conditions
Experience with specialized thermal ground test facilities
Flight test experience including instrumentation design and post-flight analysis
Experience with Thermal Desktop/SINDA
Experience with manufacturing and assembly of thermal systems
Active U.S. security clearance

Responsibilities

Thermal design and analysis of unmanned air vehicles at conceptual, preliminary, and detailed design maturities
Define thermal system architectures and material selection strategies for vehicles operating in demanding flight environments
Thermal analysis of flight vehicles using standard thermal analysis codes and engineering/hand methods
Transient thermal analysis for time-varying mission profiles
Ground test planning, execution, and analysis in specialized thermal test facilities
Flight test planning, execution, and post-flight thermal data analysis
Use first principles and MATLAB/Python models to inform design decisions
Collaborate with aerodynamics, structures, electrical, and systems engineers on integrated solutions
Present thermal status at formal reviews internally and with customers
Prepare formal documentation (specifications, test procedures, technical reports)