Thermal Engineer

Rendezvous Robotics•Golden, CO

2d•$95,000 - $170,000•Onsite

About The Position

Rendezvous Robotics is seeking a Mid to Senior Level Thermal Engineer to take full ownership of the design and analysis of thermal management systems for their self-assembling tiles and spacecraft. This role involves managing the thermal architecture from requirements definition through to on-orbit operation. The engineer will be the primary thermal authority, acting as both an individual contributor and a mentor, providing data-driven recommendations to the design team and ensuring the vehicle operates within temperature limits. Collaboration with electrical, systems, mechanical, and test teams is expected, as is mentoring junior engineers in the discipline. This is a full-time, on-site position located in Golden, Colorado.

Requirements

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, or a related engineering discipline.
5+ years of spacecraft or aerospace thermal design and analysis experience.
Demonstrated ownership of thermal-control hardware design: sizing and selecting radiators, MLI, heaters, coatings, and conductive interfaces, not analysis alone.
Proficiency with thermal analysis tools such as Thermal Desktop, SINDA/FLUINT, ESATAN, or a comparable node-based or Python thermal solver.
Hands-on knowledge of thermal-control hardware: MLI, OSR/radiator films, Kapton heaters, thermostats, surface coatings (α/ε), heat pipes, and conductive interfaces.
Solid understanding of space thermal environments and their effects on materials and hardware.
Experience defining thermal requirements and allocating thermal margins.
Must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Nice To Haves

Thermal-vacuum and thermal-balance test planning, execution, and model correlation.
Proficiency with Python for analysis automation and comfort owning analysis code.
Understanding of battery and electronics thermal limits (e.g., Li-ion charge/discharge windows).
Experience defining heater-control, thermostat, or survival-heater approaches with electrical and avionics teams.
Experience with modular spacecraft, in-space assembly, robotics, or autonomous space systems.
Proficiency with CAD tools for integrating thermal hardware into mechanical assemblies.
Familiarity with NASA thermal standards.
Experience in a startup or fast-iteration hardware environment.

Responsibilities

Own the thermal architecture and thermal-control subsystem end to end—from requirements and concept through design, qualification, flight, and on-orbit operation.
Design, select, and size thermal-control hardware—radiators, MLI, coatings, heaters, thermostats, heat pipes, conductive interfaces, and thermal interface materials.
Build, refine, and correlate detailed thermal models; perform steady-state and transient analyses across mission phases and environments.
Evaluate orbital thermal environments (solar, albedo, planetary IR), eclipse transitions, and radiator and heater sizing.
Define thermal requirements, allocate margins, and drive system-level trade studies and architecture decisions.
Support coupled thermo-structural assessments.
Plan, execute, and correlate thermal-vacuum and thermal-balance tests, including test-article configuration and instrumentation strategy.
Document analysis and design outputs, present findings to stakeholders, and mentor junior engineers in thermal best practices.