Thermal Analysis Engineer

Barrios Technology•Houston, TX

About The Position

Barrios Technology is seeking a Thermal Analysis Engineer to join the JETSII Contract and support NASA human spaceflight missions. The role focuses on developing, analyzing, and verifying thermal control systems for crewed and uncrewed vehicles. The engineer will work with NASA customers, subsystem teams, and cross-disciplinary engineering groups to develop reliable thermal solutions throughout the engineering lifecycle. The position includes thermal modeling and analysis, design assessment, verification and validation support, technical documentation, and collaboration with systems engineering, mission operations, and hardware development teams. Work is generally performed in an office environment, but may also take place inside or outside depending on the task. Some commuting and travel to other installations may be needed. The selected applicant must be a U.S. citizen and successfully complete a U.S. government background investigation; eligibility requirements for access to classified information may apply. A post-offer, pre-employment drug test is a condition of employment.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in engineering.
At least two years of experience in the field or a related area.
Experience with thermal analysis tools such as Thermal Desktop, COMSOL, ANSYS Fluent, or similar industry-standard software.
Strong understanding of heat transfer principles and spacecraft thermal environments.
Excellent oral and written communication skills and ability to coordinate across multiple technical disciplines.
Ability to assess and validate thermal designs for technical accuracy and compliance with requirements.
Must be a U.S. citizen and successfully complete a U.S. government background investigation.
Must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information if subject to a government security investigation.
Ability to sit for extended periods; lifting and carrying up to 25 lb may be required.
Sufficient mobility to enter test facility areas when necessary.
Regular attendance in accordance with the established work schedule.
Ability to work outside the normal schedule and adjust schedules to meet peak periods and surge requirements when required.
Ability to work in a team atmosphere and maintain professional behavior that promotes productivity, teamwork, and cooperation.
Appropriate grooming and dress that do not impose a safety risk or hazard.
May need to commute and travel to other installations.
Must pass a post-offer, pre-employment drug test.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor of Science in engineering and at least five years of direct engineering experience.
Familiarity with NASA Johnson Space Center organizations, processes, and procedures.
Experience with PTCS or ATCS hardware design, analysis, testing, certification, or operations.
Proficiency with Thermal Desktop.
Proven experience performing thermal analysis and design for aerospace systems.
Familiarity with the Engineering Life Cycle and requirements verification processes.
Demonstrated ability to coordinate support from a wide range of technical disciplines.
Strong leadership, including fostering collaboration, driving clear technical direction, and contributing to accountability and high-quality engineering.

Responsibilities

Develop and maintain simplified-to-high-fidelity thermal models using Thermal Desktop, SINDA/FLUINT, and related tools.
Perform steady-state and transient thermal analyses for spacecraft components, subsystems, and integrated vehicle configurations.
Evaluate thermal performance across mission phases, including ascent, cruise, lunar orbit, surface operations, and off-nominal scenarios.
Perform thermal sensitivity studies supporting vendor vehicle designs, government-furnished equipment designs, or requirement development.
Support thermal verification and validation activities, including test planning, thermal vacuum testing, data analysis, and model correlation.
Collaborate with design teams to optimize passive thermal control systems (PTCS) and active thermal control systems (ATCS) architectures.
Provide guidance on thermal design considerations and ensure compliance with NASA requirements and best practices.
Participate in design reviews, technical interchange meetings, and anomaly investigations.
Review NASA and vendor thermal designs for technical accuracy and requirement compliance.
Document analysis results, prepare technical reports, and present findings to internal stakeholders and NASA customers.
Support integration with systems engineering, mission operations, and hardware development teams throughout the engineering lifecycle.