Head of Spacecraft Thermal Engineering

firefly; Town of Texas (WI); On-site; USD 170,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental plan

Vision plan

Parental leave

Education reimbursement

Short-term disability

Flexible PTO

Job summary

Firefly Aerospace is seeking a Senior Thermal Manager to lead the spacecraft thermal engineering team responsible for multiple vehicle programs. You will own hiring, performance, development, and the culture of the Thermal team, while guiding analyses and ensuring technical rigor across design, testing, and flight phases.

The role requires deep expertise in thermal systems, strong judgment, and the ability to manage multidisciplinary efforts, including analysis, testing, and vehicle design, with

Qualifications

• 8+ years of spacecraft thermal analysis experience
• Willingness to relocate to the greater Austin area
• Expert knowledge of spacecraft heat transfer and thermal control systems
• Experience mentoring or managing teams of engineers
• Experience with instrumentation and testing thermal hardware

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of Thermal Engineers across multiple spacecraft programs
• Define processes, standards, and tools for thermal modeling
• Hire, develop, and retain team members and build a strong team culture
• Oversee staffing, performance, and hiring for the Thermal team
• Defend and communicate complex thermal analyses and results
• Organize and lead vehicle-level thermal vacuum testing

Skills

Team leadership

Spacecraft thermal engineering

Python / MATLAB

Mentoring / coaching

Technical communication

Education

B.S. in Aerospace Engineering or related

MS/PhD preferred

Tools

Thermal Desktop

Other thermal analysis software

Job description

Firefly Aerospace is seeking a Senior Thermal Manager to lead the spacecraft thermal engineering team responsible for multiple vehicle programs. You will own hiring, performance, development, and the culture of the Thermal team, while guiding analyses and ensuring technical rigor across design, testing, and flight phases.

The role requires deep expertise in thermal systems, strong judgment, and the ability to manage multidisciplinary efforts, including analysis, testing, and vehicle design, with