Senior Flight Thermal Systems Engineer

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory; California; On-site; USD 214,000 - 267,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Retirement plans

Paid time off

Flexible schedule

Job summary

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, seeks a Level V Thermal Systems Engineer to lead thermal control system design, analysis, and testing for flight missions. You will oversee lifecycle activities from requirements to verification, manage critical interfaces, and communicate findings at program reviews.

We value experience with cryogenic systems, spaceflight hardware, and cross‑functional collaboration.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree with typically 12+ years of related experience.
• Master's degree with 10+ years of related experience.
• PhD with 8+ years of related experience.

Responsibilities

• Oversee specification, implementation, and V&V of flight/ payload thermal control systems; report to project managers and section manager.
• Monitor technical design, status, and issues through Phases A–D.
• Plan, direct, and control resources, schedule, and risk management to fulfill objectives.
• Manage flight system or payload thermal risks and provide technical leadership.
• Coordinate interfaces to assure operable, reliable, and safe interactions across systems.
• Present work in management reviews and lead design trades at system level.

Skills

Cryogenics

Heat transfer

Fluid mechanics

Thermal systems design

Controls theory

Systems engineering

Flight hardware

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering (thermal or cryogenics focus)

Master's degree in similar discipline

PhD in similar discipline

Tools

Thermal Desktop

SolidWorks

AutoCAD

NX

Job description

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, seeks a Level V Thermal Systems Engineer to lead thermal control system design, analysis, and testing for flight missions. You will oversee lifecycle activities from requirements to verification, manage critical interfaces, and communicate findings at program reviews.

We value experience with cryogenic systems, spaceflight hardware, and cross‑functional collaboration.