Lead Thermal Engineer – Spacecraft & Payload

L3Harris Technologies, Inc.; Palm Bay (FL); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

L3Harris Technologies, Inc. is seeking a Lead Thermal Engineer to guide spacecraft-level thermal design, modeling, and testing for advanced space missions.

You will architect thermal solutions, mentor engineers, and collaborate across multidisciplinary teams to ensure mission success in diverse orbital environments. The role requires strong leadership, hands-on experience with Thermal Desktop and TVAC, and the ability to obtain a US security clearance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science in Engineering required; graduate degree preferred.
• Minimum 9 years of relevant experience; 7 years with graduate degree; or 13 years without degree.
• Minimum 5+ years of professional experience using Thermal Desktop.
• 2+ years of experience as IPTL or providing technical leadership.

Responsibilities

• Lead spacecraft-level thermal design, architecture, strategies, and requirements for high-reliability space vehicles.
• Develop detailed thermal models and analyses for all mission phases; assess worst-case environments and eclipse conditions.
• Lead creation and validation of thermal control hardware and interfaces.
• Own thermal performance budgets and flow-down requirements to payloads and subsystems.
• Direct development of thermal math models using industry-standard tools.
• Provide leadership during TVAC planning, execution, and correlation of test results.
• Mentor junior engineers and drive continuous improvement in thermal engineering processes.

Skills

Thermal Design

Thermal Modeling

Leadership

Systems Engineering

TVAC planning

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor of Science in Engineering

Graduate Degree in Engineering

Tools

Thermal Desktop

SINDA/FLUINT

ESATAN-TMS

Job description

L3Harris Technologies, Inc. is seeking a Lead Thermal Engineer to guide spacecraft-level thermal design, modeling, and testing for advanced space missions.

You will architect thermal solutions, mentor engineers, and collaborate across multidisciplinary teams to ensure mission success in diverse orbital environments. The role requires strong leadership, hands-on experience with Thermal Desktop and TVAC, and the ability to obtain a US security clearance.