Engineer III

General Atomics and Affiliated Companies; Massachusetts; On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

GA-EMS in Acton, MA seeks a Mechanical Engineer focused on thermal design for optical space payloads. You will develop thermal control solutions and perform analyses for spacecraft subsystems, collaborating with mechanical, systems, optical, electrical, and test teams.

The ideal candidate has 2–5 years of experience, strong heat transfer background, hands-on AI&T experience, and proficiency with SINDA/FLUINT and Thermal Desktop. U.S. citizenship and DoD clearance are required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's, master's, or PhD in engineering; four+ years with bachelor, two+ years with master.
• Experience with SINDA/FLUINT and Thermal Desktop is highly desirable.
• Experience with the thermal design and analysis of space payloads; EO/IR payload experience a plus.
• Hands-on AI&T experience with radiators, thermal straps, heaters, MLI, and thermal interfaces.
• Familiarity with CAD tools (SOLIDWORKS, CREO, NX) and basic scripting (Python, MATLAB, FORTRAN).
• Exposure to TVAC, thermal cycling, or environmental tests and correlating models to test data.
• Strong written and verbal communication; ability to present technical information to varied audiences.
• Ability to organize tasks, work in a team, and meet deadlines.
• DoD security clearance; U.S. citizenship required.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop thermal management for optical space payloads and satellites.
• Perform thermal analysis and simulations to support design trades and verifications.
• Lead AI&T activities for payload thermal hardware and data analysis.
• Develop and review thermal subsystem requirements, allocations, and test procedures.
• Support environmental test campaigns including planning and data correlation.
• Prepare technical documentation for reviews and milestones.
• Maintain confidentiality of sensitive information.

Skills

Heat transfer

Thermal analysis

SINDA/FLUINT

Thermal Desktop

AI&T

CAD tools

Python/MATLAB

Space payloads

TVAC testing

Modeling & scripting

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

PhD in engineering

Tools

SOLIDWORKS

CREO

NX

Job description

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) designs and manufactures first-of-a-kind electromagnetic and electric power generation systems. GA-EMS’ expanding portfolio of specialized products and integrated system solutions support critical fleet, space systems and satellites, missile defense, power and energy, and process and monitoring applications for defense, industrial, and commercial customers worldwide.

We have an exciting opportunity in Acton, MA for a Mechanical Engineer with a focus on thermal design for optical space payloads. The ideal candidate has a strong background in heat transfer and thermal engineering and their application to space systems, direct experience in the thermal design and analysis of spacecraft or space payloads, and hands-on experience with the assembly, integration, and test (AI&T) of hardware. This role is well suited for an engineer with approximately 2–5 years of experience who is ready to take on increasing technical responsibility while working closely with experienced senior engineers.

The successful applicant will work as part of a multi-disciplinary team to develop, analyze, and test thermal control solutions for optical payloads and satellite systems. You will collaborate with mechanical, systems, optical, electrical, manufacturing, and test engineers, learn and apply best practices for thermal control of space systems, and progressively assume responsibility for key portions of payload and spacecraft thermal subsystems.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Contribute to the design and development of thermal management solutions for optical space payloads, payload components, payload subassemblies, and orbital satellite systems.
• Perform thermal analysis, modeling, and simulation (e.g., using SINDA/FLUINT and Thermal Desktop) to support design trades, requirements verification, and performance assessments.
• Support and increasingly lead elements of the assembly, integration, and test (AI&T) process for payload thermal hardware, including procedure development, test setup, execution support, and data analysis.
• Participate in the development and review of thermal subsystem requirements, allocations, design documentation, integration plans, and test procedures.
• Support environmental test campaigns (e.g., thermal vacuum, thermal cycling), including planning, test readiness and execution, and correlation of models to test results.
• Prepare technical documentation, including analysis reports, design review materials, and test reports, for internal meetings and program milestone reviews.
• Maintain the strict confidentiality of sensitive information.

We recognize and appreciate the value and contributions of individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences and welcome all qualified individuals to apply.

Job Qualifications

• Typically requires a bachelors degree, masters degree or PhD in engineering or a related technical discipline from an accredited institution and progressive engineering experience as follows; four or more years of experience with a bachelors degree or two or more years of experience with a masters degree. May substitute equivalent engineering experience in lieu of education.
• Experience with thermal analysis tools such as SINDA/FLUINT and Thermal Desktop is highly desirable; experience with other thermal or finite element tools is a plus.
• Experience with the thermal design and analysis of space payloads, or other complex electro-mechanical systems; direct EO/IR space payload experience is a plus.
• Hands-on experience with the assembly, integration, and test (AI&T) of hardware, preferably including thermal control hardware (e.g., radiators, thermal straps, heaters, MLI, thermal interfaces).
• Familiarity with CAD tools (e.g., SOLIDWORKS, CREO, or NX) and basic scripting/programming (e.g., Python, MATLAB, or FORTRAN)
• Exposure to thermal vacuum (TVAC), thermal cycling, or other environmental test programs, including test planning and data analysis; experience correlating thermal models to test data is a plus.
• Demonstrated ability to apply engineering principles and perform thermal calculations, including hand calculations to support and cross-check numerical models.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to clearly present technical information to audiences with varying technical backgrounds.
• Ability to organize and prioritize tasks, work effectively in a team environment, and meet established deadlines or milestones.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a DoD Security Clearance. U.S. citizenship is required.