Thermal Engineer (Starshield)

SpaceX•Hawthorne, CA

2d•$100,000 - $160,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Thermal Engineer on SpaceX’s Starshield team is responsible for the thermal design, testing, and validation of spacecraft, launch vehicles, and hardware. The role spans work from initial high-level analysis through validation using ground tests, flight, and orbital data. The engineer makes decisions to improve vehicles and increase overall hardware performance, while pursuing workflow automation, performance and robustness improvements, and operational simplicity. The position is based onsite in Hawthorne, California; remote work is not considered.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in an engineering discipline.
At least 1 year of experience using scientific programming languages such as MATLAB or Python; internship or project-team experience can supplement industry experience.
Must be available to work extended hours and weekends as needed to meet mission-critical deadlines.
Must be able to travel; up to 10–25% of the work week may require travel.
Must meet U.S. export-control eligibility requirements or be eligible to obtain required authorizations.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in an engineering discipline.
Experience with Thermal Desktop and ANSYS Workbench.
Experience with 3D and reduced-order thermal modeling.
Ability to identify sizing cases and quickly evaluate the impact of design decisions.
Excellent oral and written communication skills.
Ability to deliver against an aggressive schedule.
Active Top Secret or Top Secret SCI clearance, or willingness to pursue one.

Responsibilities

Perform thermal design of spacecraft, launch vehicles, and hardware, from initial high-level analysis through validation with ground tests, flight, and orbital data.
Automate workflows to reduce engineering investment in the design cycle.
Pursue performance and robustness improvements.
Pursue operational simplicity and reduce the burden on other SpaceX groups.
Produce quality documentation to reduce missed issues and improve efficiency.
Review peer work.

Benefits

Potential eligibility for long-term incentives in the form of company stock or long-term cash awards.
Potential discretionary bonuses.
Ability to purchase additional stock at a discount through an Employee Stock Purchase Plan.
Medical coverage.
Vision coverage.
Dental coverage.
401(k) retirement plan.
Short- and long-term disability insurance.
Life insurance.
Paid parental leave.
Various other discounts and perks.
Up to 3 weeks of accrued paid vacation.
10 or more paid holidays per year.
Paid sick leave pursuant to Company policy.
A 10% differential for employees with an active clearance who are officially briefed into a classified program, up to an additional $20,000 annually.