Senior Spacecraft Thermal Engineer

Firefly Aerospace, Inc.; Cedar Park (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, vision plans

Parental leave

Relocation benefits

Educational reimbursement

Short term disability

Flexible PTO

Job summary

Firefly Aerospace, Inc. in Texas seeks a Senior Thermal Engineer to provide technical leadership for spacecraft thermal analysis across multiple programs.

You will develop analytical approaches for complex thermal challenges, establish modeling strategies, mentor engineers, and influence major program decisions. This role requires deep expertise in spacecraft thermal engineering, strong technical judgment, and the ability to independently lead multidisciplinary efforts involving analysis,

Qualifications

• Bachelor-level degree in aerospace, mechanical, physics or related field required.
• 8–15+ years spacecraft thermal analysis experience preferred.
• Experience with instrumentation and testing of thermal hardware beneficial.

Responsibilities

• Lead thermal analyses that drive major vehicle design decisions across multiple spacecraft programs.
• Own the architecture, validation, and long-term maintenance of integrated spacecraft thermal models.
• Develop innovative analytical methods, workflows, and automation to improve team capability and efficiency.
• Lead thermal trade studies involving mission environments, propulsion effects, lunar surface interactions, cryogenics, and advanced thermal control technologies.
• Define thermal analysis strategies supporting conceptual design through flight.
• Organize and lead testing, including vehicle-level thermal vacuum testing.
• Serve as the point of contact for the thermal control subsystem during launch operations.

Skills

Thermal analysis

Technical leadership

Communication skills

Instrumentation experience

Education

B.S. in Aerospace Eng, Mechanical Eng, Physics, or related field

M.S. or Ph.D.

Tools

Thermal Desktop

Thermal analysis software

Job description

Firefly Aerospace, Inc. in Texas seeks a Senior Thermal Engineer to provide technical leadership for spacecraft thermal analysis across multiple programs.

You will develop analytical approaches for complex thermal challenges, establish modeling strategies, mentor engineers, and influence major program decisions. This role requires deep expertise in spacecraft thermal engineering, strong technical judgment, and the ability to independently lead multidisciplinary efforts involving analysis,