Senior FEA Engineer - Thermal & Structural (Aerospace)

TRL11, Inc.; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401k

Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental &amp

Unlimited Paid Time Off (with prior),

Stock Option Plan participation

Job summary

TRL11, Inc. in Irvine, CA seeks an engineer with strong FEA experience to support thermal, structural, and optical simulations.

You will develop high-fidelity models for iterative design and final verification, perform on-orbit thermal analyses, and execute thermo-mechanical simulations to assess distortion in optically sensitive systems. You will correlate results with test data and contribute to end-to-end simulation capabilities from day one.

Qualifications

• 5-10 years of experience in simulation, mechanical, or aerospace engineering.
• Solid understanding of heat transfer (conduction, radiation) and structural mechanics.
• Experience supporting analyses aligned with aerospace or defense program requirements and communicating results clearly to cross-functional teams.
• Proficiency with CAE tools such as ANSYS, Abaqus, COMSOL, Simscale, or similar.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain high-fidelity finite element models for both iterative design analysis and final verification sign-off
• Perform thermal analyses for on-orbit environments including solar loading, radiation, and internal heat dissipation
• Perform structural analyses for launch environments including quasi-static loads, vibration, and shock
• Execute coupled thermo-mechanical simulations to evaluate distortion and performance impacts, especially for optically sensitive systems
• Model thermal behavior driven by solar illumination angles, radiative exchange, and conductive heat paths
• Analyze thermal performance of electronic systems with a focus on heat rejection and maintaining operating temperature limits
• Correlate simulation models with test data from vibration, shock, thermal, and TVAC testing
• Define simulation assumptions, boundary conditions, and methodologies consistent with aerospace and DoD program expectations
• Generate clear, defensible analysis reports to support design reviews, technical decisions, and program milestones
• Partner closely with mechanical, optical, and electrical engineers to drive design decisions through simulation insights
• Support definition of test plans and instrumentation to enable model validation and correlation
• Own and evolve simulation workflows, including meshing strategies, solver selection, and toolchain improvements

Skills

FEA

Thermal analysis

Structural analysis

Aerospace engineering

Test planning

ANSYS

Abaqus

COMSOL

Python scripting

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related field

Tools

Simscale

ANSYS

Abaqus

COMSOL

Job description

TRL11, Inc. in Irvine, CA seeks an engineer with strong FEA experience to support thermal, structural, and optical simulations.

You will develop high-fidelity models for iterative design and final verification, perform on-orbit thermal analyses, and execute thermo-mechanical simulations to assess distortion in optically sensitive systems. You will correlate results with test data and contribute to end-to-end simulation capabilities from day one.