Mechanical Engineer - Active Cooling

Cowboy Space Corporation

Seattle (WA)

On-site

USD 100,000 - 300,000

Full time

3 days ago

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Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401(k) retirement savings plan

Paid time off

Paid holidays

Parental leave

Relocation assistance

Lunch in office and stocked kitchen

Job summary

Cowboy Space Corp. is seeking a Mechanical Engineer – Active Cooling to own the liquid cooling loop for on-orbit GPU compute hardware.

You will design, size, and integrate pumps, valves, accumulators, cold plates, and instrumentation while coordinating with thermal, power, structures, avionics, propulsion, and software teams. This hands-on role demands strong fluids knowledge, flight hardware experience, and the ability to iterate quickly from concept through ground tests to on-orbit operation

Qualifications

BS or MS in Mechanical, Aerospace, or related field
3+ years in designing or analyzing fluid systems and/or mechanical hardware
Strong fluids fundamentals: flow, thermodynamics, heat transfer, pressure systems
Hands-on with pumps, valves, tubing, and instrumentation
Experience moving hardware from concept to build and test
Strong mechanical design fundamentals
Proficient in CAD (NX, SolidWorks or similar)
Experience in fast-paced hardware-focused environments

Responsibilities

Own the design of the spacecraft liquid cooling loop from concept through flight
Perform pressure-drop, flow, and thermal analyses to size the loop
Design mechanical packaging, mounts, and interfaces for the cooling loop
Build and operate ground testbeds and dev rigs
Execute proof-pressure, leak, flow, and qualification tests
Maintain schematics, drawings, interface control documents, and test procedures
Select and integrate coolant loop components and coordinate with suppliers
Diagnose cooling-system anomalies and apply root-cause actions
Collaborate with thermal, power, structures, avionics, propulsion, software teams
Drive fast design cycles and hardware builds to accelerate program

Skills

Fluid systems design

Mechanical design

Test and verification

Hands-on hardware integration

CAD (NX, SolidWorks)

Spaceflight hardware knowledge

Fast-paced development

Education

BS/MS in Mechanical Engineering or Aerospace Engineering

Tools

SolidWorks

Thermal-Fluid Analysis

Job description

About Cowboy Space Corp

Cowboy Space Corp. is building the infrastructure to power and connect the orbital economy. Our satellites operate in Low Earth Orbit to collect sunlight and enable a new class of capabilities—from powering on-orbit compute, to transmitting energy via infrared lasers (space-to-earth and space-to-space), powering on-orbit compute to delivering secure, high-band-width optical data. By rethinking how energy and data are generated and distributed in space, we’re unlocking entirely new ways to operate both in orbit and on Earth.

Founded in 2024 by Baiju Bhatt (co‑founder of Robinhood), Cowboy Space Corp. is backed by leading investors and built by a team from top aerospace and defense organizations. We’re moving quickly to solve complex technical challenges and build a new category of space infrastructure.

The Role

As a Mechanical Engineer – Active Cooling, you will be the responsible engineer for the liquid cooling loop that keeps our on-orbit GPU compute hardware temperature controlled. This is a hands‑on role that sits at the intersection of fluid systems and mechanical design. You will architect the pumped coolant loop, select and size its component (pumps, valves, accumulators, cold plates, instrumentation, etc) and own the mechanical packaging, structures, and interfaces that integrate it into the spacecraft. You will own this hardware end to end, from concept and analysis through the ground testbeds used to prove it out, qualification, and on‑orbit operation.

You will work closely with thermal, power, structures, avionics, propulsion, and software teams to deliver an integrated cooling solution. We’re looking for a strong fluids background paired with strong mechanical design skills. Someone who can move quickly, iterate often, and take full ownership of hardware that directly determines whether our compute payload survives and performs in orbit.

Own the design of the spacecraft liquid cooling loop for GPU compute hardware from concept through flight, including cold plates, pumps, valves, accumulators, heat exchangers, tubing, fittings, and instrumentation.
Perform pressure‑drop, flow, and thermal‑fluid analyses to size the loop and predict system behavior across the full mission profile, balancing heat rejection, pump power, mass, and reliability.
Design the mechanical packaging, structures, mounts, and mechanisms that house and integrate the cooling loop, and couple it to radiators and the broader thermal control system.
Design, build, and operate ground testbeds and dev rigs to characterize components, validate the loop, and de‑risk the flight design ahead of qualification.
Develop and execute proof‑pressure, leak, flow, thermal‑vacuum, and qualification/acceptance test programs to verify flight‑worthiness.
Author and maintain schematics, drawings, interface control documents, analysis reports, test procedures, and release/configuration records.
Select, size, and integrate coolant loop components to meet performance, mass, and reliability requirements, and work with suppliers to ensure high‑quality, scalable production.
Diagnose and resolve cooling‑system anomalies during integration and test, applying root‑cause analysis and implementing corrective actions.
Partner with thermal, power, structures, avionics, propulsion, and software teams to ensure the cooling loop integrates seamlessly within the overall spacecraft architecture.
Embrace a fast‑paced development environment, driving quick design cycles, hardware builds, and test campaigns to accelerate the program schedule.

Basic Qualifications

BS or MS in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field
3+ years of experience designing or analyzing fluid systems and/or mechanical hardware in aerospace, automotive, energy, data‑center cooling, or other high‑performance environments
Strong fluids fundamentals: compressible/incompressible flow, thermodynamics, heat transfer, and pressure systems
Hands‑on experience with fluid components including pumps, valves, regulators, tubing, and instrumentation
Experience taking hardware from concept through build and test, with hands‑on integration and test experience
Strong mechanical design fundamentals in mechanics, materials, and thermal systems
Proficiency with CAD (e.g., NX, SolidWorks, or similar)
Experience working in fast‑paced, hardware‑focused development environments

Preferred Qualifications

Direct experience designing pumped liquid cooling loops, two‑phase cooling, or cold‑plate/coolant systems for high heat‑flux electronics or GPU/compute hardware
Experience designing for space environments (thermal, vibration, vacuum) and background in spacecraft structures, mechanisms, or thermal systems
3+ years of experience with spacecraft, launch vehicle, satellite fluid, or thermal systems
Familiarity with thermal control systems and thermal‑fluid coupling at the spacecraft system level
Experience with FEA, thermal, and fluid simulation tools.
Knowledge of aerospace standards (MIL‑SPEC, NASA‑STD, ECSS) and spaceflight hardware qualification and acceptance margins
Hands‑on experience with prototyping, machining, test setups, leak testing, or pressure vessel design
Startup or early‑stage hardware experience; comfort operating with significant technical ambiguity

Compensation And Benefits

The salary range for this position is $100,000 – $300,000 annually.

The actual base salary offered will depend on factors such as job‑related skills, experience, qualifications, and internal equity.

Employees and their eligible dependents may enroll in medical, dental, and vision insurance
401(k) retirement savings plan
Paid time off
10 paid holidays per calendar year
Paid parental leave
Relocation assistance if applicable
Daily lunch in the office and a fully stocked kitchen with beverages and snacks

ITAR Requirements

Export Control Requirement: To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), applicants must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about ITAR here.

Disclaimer

This job description is a summary of the primary duties and responsibilities of the job and position. It is not intended to be a comprehensive or all‑inclusive listing of duties and responsibilities. Contents are subject to change at Cowboy Space Corp.’s discretion.

Cowboy Space Corp. is an equal employment opportunity employer. We consider individuals for employment or promotion according to their skills, abilities and experience. Cowboy Space Corp. is committed to complying with all applicable laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, religious creed, age, national origin, ancestry, physical, mental or developmental disability, sex (which includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and medical conditions relating to pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding), veteran status, military status, marital or registered domestic partnership status, medical condition (including cancer or genetic characteristics), genetic information, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, as well as any other category protected by federal, state or local laws.

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