Engineer

Pro Staff; Laurel (MD); On-site; USD 103,000 - 138,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

Short-term disability

401(k) plans

Weekly pay

Job summary

Advantage Technical is seeking an experienced Senior Thermal Engineer to develop spacecraft thermal control systems, payloads, and thermal hardware. You will join a multidisciplinary team from concept through testing, launch, and flight, with potential to serve as a senior technical contributor or project lead depending on scope.

The role requires 10+ years in spacecraft thermal engineering, strong heat-transfer knowledge, and proficiency with Thermal Desktop.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering.
• At least 10 years of spacecraft thermal engineering experience.
• Experience spanning design, analysis, and testing across development phases.
• Proficiency with Thermal Desktop.
• Experience leading engineering tasks or small teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead or contribute to spacecraft thermal design, analysis, and testing.
• Develop thermal models and analyses using Thermal Desktop.
• Create thermal test plans and specifications.
• Analyze test data and correlate thermal models.
• Support spacecraft integration, procedure development, and installation oversight.
• Conduct trade studies balancing performance, resources, risk, cost, and schedule.
• Present findings during peer, design, and major technical reviews.
• Mentor early-career thermal engineers.

Skills

Thermal design

Thermal analysis

Thermal testing

Heat transfer

Thermal Desktop

Lead engineering

Education

B.S. Mechanical/Aerospace Eng

Tools

Thermal Desktop

TD Direct

FloCAD

Job description

Now hiring a Senior Thermal Engineer

Location: Laurel, MD

Pay Rate: $75–$100 per hour

Schedule: Regular Business Hours

Position Type: Contract-to-Hire

Take Spacecraft Design Beyond the Drawing Board.

Advantage Technical is hiring an experienced Senior Thermal Engineer to develop one-of-a-kind spacecraft, payloads, and thermal control systems. You'll join a multidisciplinary team supporting projects from initial concept and analysis through testing, launch, and flight.

Depending on project scope, you may serve as a senior technical contributor on a major program or lead the thermal engineering effort for a smaller project.

Job Duties

• Lead or contribute to spacecraft thermal control system design, analysis, and testing
• Develop thermal models and perform analyses using Thermal Desktop
• Create thermal test plans and specifications
• Analyze test data and correlate thermal models
• Support spacecraft integration, procedure development, activity coordination, and installation oversight
• Conduct trade studies balancing performance, resources, risk, cost, and schedule
• Present findings during peer, design, and major technical reviews
• Mentor early-career thermal engineers

Education Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or an equivalent discipline

Required Qualifications & Experience

• At least 10 years of spacecraft or instrument thermal engineering experience
• Experience spanning thermal design, analysis, and testing across multiple development phases
• Strong knowledge of heat-transfer theory
• Proficiency with Thermal Desktop
• Experience independently leading engineering tasks or small technical teams

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree or PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or an equivalent discipline
• Airflow modeling experience involving forced and natural convection
• Experience with FloCAD, TD Direct, or other advanced Thermal Desktop capabilities

Employee Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance
• Short-term disability
• 401(k) plans
• Weekly pay available every Friday
• Employee discount programs