Lead Thermal Engineer, Spacecraft Systems

Apex Technology, Inc.; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity in Apex

Company-paid health insurance

Generous PTO

401(k) match

Parental leave

Office amenities

Hybrid teamwork

Impactful projects

Job summary

Apex Technology, Inc. in Playa Vista, CA is seeking a Senior Thermal Engineer to own the thermal design of our spacecraft from concept through flight. You will develop and validate spacecraft-level thermal models and work with cross-functional teams to drive thermal performance.

The role emphasizes hands-on hardware, testing, and coordinating milestones SRR, PDR, and CDR, with opportunities to influence hardware design and mission success in a fast-growing aerospace startup.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in thermal engineering or analysis.
• U.S. Person status is required due to export-controlled data access.
• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related field.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain spacecraft-level thermal models.
• Perform thermal analyses to evaluate spacecraft performance across mission environments.
• Develop thermal control solutions and drive design decisions across spacecraft systems.
• Plan and execute thermal subsystem milestone reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR).
• Support thermal flight hardware integration, build, and test.
• Design, plan, and execute thermal vacuum testing at component and spacecraft levels.
• Correlate test and flight data to improve model accuracy and predictions.
• Collaborate with mechanical, systems, avionics, and other teams to meet thermal requirements.

Skills

Thermal analysis

Heat transfer fundamentals

Analytical skills

Fast-paced environment

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering

Tools

Ansys Thermal Desktop

Thermal modeling tools

Siemens NX

Job description

Apex Technology, Inc. in Playa Vista, CA is seeking a Senior Thermal Engineer to own the thermal design of our spacecraft from concept through flight. You will develop and validate spacecraft-level thermal models and work with cross-functional teams to drive thermal performance.

The role emphasizes hands-on hardware, testing, and coordinating milestones SRR, PDR, and CDR, with opportunities to influence hardware design and mission success in a fast-growing aerospace startup.