Senior Thermal Engineer

Icarus•El Segundo, CA

4d•$150,000 - $190,000•Onsite

About The Position

Icarus is seeking a Senior Thermal Engineer to own the thermal design of their solar-powered aircraft. These aircraft operate at 60,000 ft for extended periods, providing persistent, affordable, and scalable presence from the stratosphere. The role involves all aspects of thermal management, from initial sizing and modeling to validation with flight data. The engineer will be responsible for battery thermal management, ensuring survival in cold conditions, and delivering thermal solutions for various aircraft systems under strict mass constraints. This position requires a deep understanding of how temperature affects component efficiency and the overall power budget of the aircraft. The role also includes defining and executing thermal testing, correlating models with test data, and collaborating with multiple engineering teams.

Requirements

3+ years in thermal analysis or thermal design of flight, space, or high-reliability hardware.
A degree in mechanical, aerospace, or another engineering discipline.
A thermal design you took from analysis through test and into flying hardware.
Experience in low-convection environments where radiation dominates — spacecraft, high-altitude, or UAV.
Strong 0-D and 1-D thermal network modeling.
Experience with Thermal Desktop, ANSYS, Simcenter, or equivalent.
Proficiency in Python or MATLAB for tooling.
Battery thermal management experience: pack-level modeling, heater strategies, and cold-soak survival.
Hands-on test experience with thermal-vacuum or altitude chambers, instrumentation, and model correlation.
Comfort working on the floor with hardware and technicians.
A serious commitment to feedback and growth.
The drive to perform in a fast-paced, high-intensity environment.

Responsibilities

Own thermal design of the aircraft, from first-order sizing through validation against altitude chamber and flight data.
Model at the fidelity the decision requires — hand calculations and 1-D networks early, CFD and FEA when warranted.
Own battery thermal management: insulation, heater sizing, and cold-soak survival.
Deliver thermal solutions for avionics, powertrain, and payloads against aggressive mass targets, and select the materials, coatings, and interfaces to get there.
Quantify how temperature drives the power budget.
Define and run thermal testing: setups, instrumentation, procedures, and correlation of models to measured data.
Work across structures, avionics, power, and manufacturing, and present thermal status at design and failure reviews.