Research & Development Engineer

Paragon Space Development Corp.; Tucson (AZ); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Paragon Space Development Corporation seeks a battery R&D engineer to develop battery technologies for aerospace and terrestrial uses with emphasis on nominal thermal control and thermal runaway mitigation. The role leads requirements, architecture and detailed specs, while guiding proposals, design concepts, and testing in a hands-on environment.

The engineer will coordinate lifecycle support, supplier interactions, and transition plans, aligning technical progress with customer requirements

Qualifications

• Bachelor degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical or Aerospace Engineering with related experience.
• Advanced degrees or PhD strongly considered for higher seniority.
• 3+ years leading proposals for US government customers or prime contractors.
• Experience with thermal control system analysis/design and battery tech.
• Excellent verbal and written communication with customers and teammates.
• US citizen or permanent resident status required.

Responsibilities

• Lead execution of R&D programs ensuring technical quality and schedule alignment.
• Develop battery technologies for spacecraft, spacesuits, aircraft, or military use.
• Apply heat transfer and thermodynamics to battery thermal design and runaway mitigation.
• Oversee design, testing and analysis activities across projects.
• Lead transition plans and collaboration with internal/external partners.

Skills

5+ years exp

R&D leadership

Thermal analysis

Thermal Desktop

FloCAD

Heat transfer

Chem/battery tech

Proposal leadership

Strong communication

US citizen/PR

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Master's degree in engineering

Doctorate in engineering

Tools

SolidWorks

Thermal Desktop

FloCAD

Job description

Description

As Paragon Space Development Corporation celebrates over 33 years of delivering life support and thermal control solutions for extreme environments, we remain focused on what drives our success: our people. By any measure, Paragon is an exciting, dynamic, and rewarding place to build your career. Our goal is simple—hire exceptional talent and empower you to do work you truly enjoy.

Paragon is advancing a broad range of thermal control technologies, including integrated systems for orbital habitats, spacesuits, lunar in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) systems, and battery thermal-runaway containment enclosures. We also develop component-level solutions such as cryogenic fluid storage systems, atmospheric revitalization technologies, water recovery systems, coldplates, and high-turndown radiators. Learn more about what we do on our website.

Paragon seeks a battery R&D engineer who will develop battery technologies for both aerospace and terrestrial applications with a focus on nominal thermal control and thermal runaway mitigation. The R&D engineer leads generation and analysis of system requirements and development of architectural approaches and detailed specifications for novel technologies in a hands‑on environment. The R&D engineer leads development of high‑level and detailed proposals and design concepts consistent with requirements and specifications. The R&D engineer oversees design, testing and analysis activities. They identify, track and status technical performance to measure progress and ensure compliance with requirements. The R&D engineer also leads activities in support of Supplier Management with make/buy recommendations and coordinates engineering support throughout the lifecycle of the product. Critically, the R&D engineer is responsible for the planning of research projects to develop concepts for future product designs to meet projected requirements.

Requirements

• Lead execution of R&D programs, ensuring technical quality and rigor is met such that the end product meets systems requirements and customer expectations, all while remaining within program schedule and budget.
• Develop battery technologies for spacecraft, spacesuits, aircraft, or the military. Desired experience includes R&D in the areas of battery mechanical and electrical design, and battery management systems.
• Apply heat transfer, thermodynamics, and flow physics, particularly as they relate to the battery thermal design to accommodate both nominal thermal control and thermal runaway mitigation.
• Evaluate team member work and provide expert advice that will enhance the resulting concepts and designs.
• Participate in development of product line strategies and roadmaps - technical and business (e.g. new technology areas, partnerships, make/buy trades).
• Regularly present technical findings to customers and their technical advisors.
• Collaborate with transition partners (internal & external) to develop and execute transition plans for successful adoption and integration of developed products.
• Stay well versed in the leading edge battery technologies, including novel chemistries, designs, suppliers, and thermal runaway mitigations

Basic Qualifications (Required Skills/Experience):

• Bachelor Degree from an accredited course of study, in Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical, Aerospace Engineering or equivalent field with 5+ years of relevant experience OR
• Master's Degree from an accredited course of study, in Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical, Aerospace Engineering or equivalent field 3+ years of relevant experience OR
• Doctorate degree from an accredited course of study, in Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical, Aerospace Engineering or equivalent field.
• 3+ years of experience as an R&D Engineer or Researcher, including leading proposals for US government customers or prime contractors.
• The candidate must have good verbal and written communications skills, and interpersonal skills to work with customers, teammates and suppliers.
• Experience with thermal control system analysis and design. Specific experience with Thermal Desktop and FloCAD is a plus.
• Candidate must be a US citizen or permanent resident (green card).

Desired Qualifications (Required Skills/Experience):

• Knowledge and experience with the engineering product lifecycle, ranging from requirements development through design, manufacture, test, and operations.
• Design and procurement experience with thermal control hardware including cold plates, heat exchangers, radiators, pumped fluid loops, heat pipes, phase change materials (PCM), and multi-layer insulation (MLI).
• Testing experience, including generation of test plans, knowledge of thermal test hardware, an understanding of data systems, instrumentation, and test data analysis, and aerospace/flight testing campaigns.
• CAD design experience is a plus, especially using SolidWorks.
• Experience working on NASA/aerospace, or other governmental development projects is a plus.