Lead Thermal Engineer

Strativ Group; Albuquerque (NM); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Strativ Group is seeking a Lead Thermal Engineer to own thermal management for high‑altitude aerospace platforms. You will shape design decisions and work with multidisciplinary teams to ensure reliability under stratospheric conditions.

You will perform steady‑state and transient analyses, develop and validate thermal models using ANSYS, Thermal Desktop or COMSOL, and guide hardware through testing and integration from concept to flight readiness.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering and 5–10 years of hands‑on thermal engineering in aerospace.
• Experience with thermal design for high‑altitude platforms (HAPS/UAS desirable).
• Strong knowledge of conduction, convection and radiation in low‑density environments.
• Ability to own analyses independently and drive design decisions.

Responsibilities

• Lead design, analysis and optimization of active and passive thermal control systems for high‑altitude aerospace platforms.
• Perform steady‑state and transient thermal analyses for mission conditions.
• Develop, validate and correlate thermal models using ANSYS, Thermal Desktop, COMSOL.
• Define thermal requirements, margins and operating limits for avionics, batteries, payloads, structures.
• Evaluate materials, coatings, radiators and interfaces to inform design trade‑offs.
• Support environmental qualification, thermal vacuum, altitude simulation and cycling campaigns.
• Translate test results into design improvements and increase system reliability.
• Collaborate with mechanical, electrical, systems and manufacturing teams.
• Provide clear technical recommendations on thermal performance and mission readiness.

Skills

Thermal analysis

Lead engineering

Thermal modeling

Aerospace experience

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or Aerospace Engineering

Tools

ANSYS

Thermal Desktop

COMSOL

Job description

Ready to solve thermal engineering challenges at the edge of aerospace innovation?

We're partnered with an ambitious, high-growth aerospace technology company developing next-generation stratospheric platforms that are redefining how we connect, monitor and understand our world.

Operating at altitudes of 18–21 km, these innovative platforms are designed to deliver advanced communications, imaging and remote-sensing capabilities from the stratosphere. Now, we’re looking for a Lead Thermal Engineer to play a pivotal role in bringing this technology to life.

The Opportunity:

This is an opportunity for an experienced, hands‑on thermal engineer to take technical ownership of thermal management across complex aerospace systems operating in one of the most challenging environments imaginable.

You’ll shape thermal design decisions, influence system architecture and work closely with multidisciplinary engineering teams to ensure critical hardware performs reliably under extreme stratospheric conditions.

We’re looking for someone who combines strong analytical capability with real-world hardware experience, sound engineering judgement and the confidence to drive technical decisions from concept through testing and integration.

What You’ll Be Doing:

• Lead the design, analysis and optimization of active and passive thermal control systems for high-altitude aerospace platforms.
• Perform steady‑state and transient thermal analyses to predict performance across demanding mission conditions.
• Develop, validate and correlate thermal models using tools such as ANSYS, Thermal Desktop, COMSOL or equivalent.
• Define thermal requirements, margins and operating limits for avionics, batteries, payloads and structural components.
• Evaluate materials, insulation, coatings, radiators and thermal interfaces to inform critical design trade‑offs.
• Support environmental qualification, thermal vacuum, altitude simulation and temperature‑cycling campaigns.
• Translate test results into actionable design improvements and increased system reliability.
• Collaborate across mechanical, electrical, systems and manufacturing engineering teams.
• Act as a trusted technical authority, providing clear recommendations on thermal performance, engineering risks and mission readiness.
• A bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering or a closely related discipline.
• Approximately 5–10 years of hands‑on thermal engineering experience in aerospace or high‑altitude flight systems.
• Practical experience with thermal design and analysis for HAPS, UAS, drones or comparable aerospace platforms.
• Strong applied knowledge of conduction, convection and radiation, particularly in low‑density, high‑altitude environments.
• Experience developing and validating thermal models and supporting hardware through design, testing and integration.
• The ability to independently own technical analyses, challenge assumptions and influence engineering decisions.
• A pragmatic, solutions‑focused approach suited to a fast‑moving R&D environment.