Thermal Engineer Staff (Level 4)

Lockheed Martin•Huntsville, AL

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Space and strategic defense systems operate in some of the most unforgiving environments imaginable. Success depends on precision — and thermal performance is often the difference between mission success and mission failure. At Lockheed Martin Space, we are redefining resilience and speed through our 21st Century Security® vision. We don’t just build systems — we engineer survivability, performance, and reliability into every component. As a Level 4 Thermal Engineer, you will serve as a technical leader driving the thermal architecture of advanced missile systems from concept through qualification and production. This position supports spacecraft, missile, hypersonic, or other advanced aerospace platforms operating in extreme and highly dynamic environments. If you’re looking for ownership, influence, and the opportunity to solve complex, high-consequence engineering challenges — this role is built for you. As a senior member of the thermal engineering team, you will lead and execute high-fidelity thermal analyses across missile components, subsystems, and fully integrated systems — including ground support equipment — throughout the entire lifecycle.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related discipline
5+ experience in thermal/thermofluids analysis (thermophysics, heat transfer, fluid mechanics, aerodynamics, etc.)
Experience using industry-standard thermal analysis tools such as NX/Simcenter, Thermal Desktop, SINDA, ANSYS
Knowledge or experience developing and managing technical requirements
Strong mathematical, analytical, and problem-solving skills grounded in mechanical engineering fundamentals
Ability to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance, thus US Citizenship is required

Nice To Haves

Experience modeling complex missile or aerospace thermal environments in Finite Element Analysis (FEA) across full mission profiles
Expertise in integrating transient and steady-state data from cross-functional teams into high-fidelity models
Experience coordinating with test teams to define instrumentation plans, conditioning approaches, and correlation strategies
Proficiency performing 1D models and first-principles calculations (bulk temperatures, backside temperatures, ablation, erosion, etc.)
Experience influencing material selection and TPS design from a thermal performance perspective
Strong executive-level communication skills with the ability to translate complex analysis into clear, actionable insights for both technical and non-technical stakeholders

Responsibilities

Owning end-to-end thermal modeling strategy using tools such as NX, Simcenter, SINDA/Fluent, and Thermal Desktop
Developing preliminary hand calculations and reduced-order models to inform early design trades before advancing to detailed simulations
Accounting for all relevant heating environments — conduction, convection, radiation (solar, Earth IR, albedo), aerodynamic heating, free molecular heating, and transient mission effects
Translating program requirements into actionable thermal design criteria and verification strategies
Leading technical reviews, presenting analysis results to customers, program leadership, and design teams
Driving thermal support for Thermal Vacuum (TVAC) and environmental testing, including instrumentation strategy and data correlation
Partnering across structures, materials, propulsion, manufacturing, and quality to develop producible, cost-effective thermal solutions
Coordinating TPS design, material selection, and component-level thermal integration