Thermal Engineer

PLD Space; Elche; On-site; EUR 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance discounts

Restaurant tickets

Transport contributions

Training support

23 days vacation + holidays

Job summary

PLD Space in Elche, Spain, is seeking a Thermal Engineer to ensure thermal performance and reliability of launch vehicles. You will conduct in-depth analyses, optimize thermal protection, and design solutions for ground and flight conditions.

Join a team focused on reusable launch vehicles, working with engineers across disciplines to meet mission requirements with rigorous testing and documentation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's in Aerospace Engineering or related technical field; advanced degree preferred.
• 1+ years of relevant technical experience in thermal systems.
• Strong knowledge of heat transfer and thermal management.

Responsibilities

• Perform thermal analyses and modeling of launch vehicle systems and subsystems.
• Collaborate with design teams to develop thermal control strategies and select materials.
• Size and define thermal control system architecture.
• Contribute to mission operations and concept of operations development.
• Conduct thermal design reviews and validate hardware against requirements.
• Perform thermal testing including hot, cryogenic, and thermal vacuum tests.

Skills

Thermal analysis

Heat transfer

Analytical thinking

Problem solving

Team collaboration

English proficiency (B2-C1)

Education

Aerospace Engineering degree

Advanced degree preferred

Tools

Thermal Desktop

ESATAN-TMS

SYSTEMA

MATLAB/Python

Job description

About PLD Space

PLD Space is an international companyon a mission to transport satellites into space, vertically integrating the engineering, testing, manufacturing, and operations of its reusable and sustainable rockets. Headquartered in Elche (Spain) and founded in 2011 by Raúl Torres and Raúl Verdú, PLD Space hasestablisheditself as a global benchmark in the small satellite launch sector. Its family of MIURA launchers and LINCE crewed capsulepositionthe company as a leader in European technological sovereignty for space transportation, covering the full spectrum of space missions.

PLD Spaceoperatesover 188,000 m² of facilities in Elche, Teruel (Spain), Kourou (French Guiana), and Duqm (Oman), enabling the company to provide comprehensive satellite and payload launch services into space.

Teamwork, courage, determination and ambition enable PLD Space to guarantee an autonomous, independent satellite space access capability, based on reliability at a globally competitive price. The company is able to offer best-in-class launch services to commercial satellite operators, institutions, space agencies and national and international governmental entities.

Mission

Asa Thermal Engineer at PLD Space, your mission is to ensure the thermalperformance and reliability of our launch vehicles by conducting in-depththermal analyses and providing thermal design solutions for both stages. Yourrole is crucial in optimizing thermal protection, optimize thermal control bypassive and active means when necessary, and ensuring the longevity and safetyfor reusable launch vehicles. For each mission, the Thermal Engineer willensure that the Payload thermal requirements are met on ground and duringflight.

Responsibilities

• Perform thermalanalysis and modeling of launch vehicle systems and subsystems, includingthermal loads, heat transfer, and temperature distribution predictions.
• Collaborate withdesign teams to develop thermal control strategies and solutions,including the selection of materials, insulation, and thermal protectionsystems for propellant tanks and CFRP structures.
• Vehicle thermalcontrol system architecture sizing and definition.
• Contributing toconcept of operations development and mission operations.
• Conduct thermaldesign reviews to ensure compliance with thermal requirements.
• Analyze andoptimize the thermal performance of critical components, such asstructures, equipment, and payload, for the ground operations and in flight.
• Conduct thermaltesting and validation of hardware and subsystems, including hot-testing,cryogenic testing, thermal vacuum tests and thermal cycling tests.
• Providetechnical expertise and guidance on thermal issues throughout the design,development, and testing phases.
• Collaborate withcross-functional teams, including mechanical engineers, systems engineers,mission engineers and manufacturing teams, to ensure thermalconsiderations are integrated into the overall system design.
• Generate thermaldesign documents, analysis reports, documenting methodologies and designstandards, assumptions, and results for internal use and customerreview.
• Generatedocumentation for formal program development reviews.

Required Knowledge

• AerospaceEngineering bachelor’s degree or related technical discipline. Advanceddegree preferred.
• > 1years ofrelevant technical experience.
• Demonstratedexperience and advanced knowledge in thermal systems, thermal analysis,and design solutions (MLI, coatings, heating systems…), includingmanufacturing and assembly limitations/constraints and hardwareverification.
• Strongunderstanding of heat transfer principles, thermal management techniques,and thermal control systems.
• Workingexperience with thermal and mechanical computer aided design tools,particularly Thermal Desktop, ESATAN-TMS or SYSTEMA.
• Knowledge ofmaterials properties and their impact on thermal behavior in aerospaceapplications.
• Familiarity withthermal testing methodologies and procedures.
• Understanding andknowledge of space environmental factors.
• Must havegeneral understanding and application of standard principles, theories,concepts and techniques in heat transfer and thermal engineering.

Required Competencies

• Analyticalthinking and problem-solving skills to perform complex thermal analysesand identify design solutions.
• Excellentmathematical and computational skills for performing thermal simulationsand analyses (GMM and TMM)
• Strong attentionto detail and accuracy in analyzing data, conducting simulations, anddocumenting results.
• Ability to workin a fast-paced and dynamic environment, managing multiple tasks andpriorities.
• Strongorganizational and time management skills to meet project deadlines andmilestones.
• Ability to workboth independently and in a team, fostering a collaborative and innovativework environment.
• EnglishB2-C1.

Desired Competencies

• Familiarity withspacecraft and/or launch vehicle systems including launch and orbitalenvironments.
• Workingexperience with natural and forced convection, linear conduction,radiation and numerical algorithms.
• Proficiency withThermal Desktop analysis software
• Experience withprogramming such as Matlab and/or Python.
• Knowledge ofthermal control system design and integration.
• Understanding ofthermal interface materials and their application in aerospacesystems.
• Understanding ofengineering simulation such as finite element structural analysis (FEA)and computational fluid dynamics (CFD).
• Experience withthermal testing equipment and procedures.
• Knowledge ofindustry standards and regulations related to thermal analysis and thermalcontrol systems.
• FrenchB2-C1.

Benefits

Health& Wellness

• Physiotherapywithin our facilities
• 50%discount on your health insurance
• Youcan sign-up your family members with health insurance at a competitive price.
• Healthysnacks and lots of fruit

Findbalance

• 23 days of paid vacation plusDecember 24th and 31st
• Flexible work schedule

Neverstop learning

• We encourage practical learning
• We promote professional developmentthrough internal mobility and teamwork

Focuson your financial future

• Childcare flexible contributions
• Restaurant tickets
• Transport flexible contributions
• Training support

Values

Wehave five critical beliefs that guide the way PLD Space is shaping the futureof space launch technologies.

• Teamwork.
• Hardwork.
• Dynamism.
• Commitment.
• Keepit simple.

Joinus to reinvent how rockets are built!