Senior Spacecraft Thermal Engineer - Design & Impact (Equity)

apex-technology-inc; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Apex Technology, Inc. in Playa Vista, CA is seeking a Senior Thermal Engineer to own the thermal design and performance of our spacecraft from concept through flight. You will solve complex thermal challenges, develop and validate spacecraft‑level models, and influence hardware design and mission performance.

You will work hands‑on with flight hardware and collaborate across engineering teams to take thermal systems from early design through integration, test, launch, and on‑orbit operations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience in thermal engineering or analysis.
• Experience with thermal modeling and analysis tools.
• Strong understanding of heat transfer and thermal engineering fundamentals.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills with the ability to work in a fast‑paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead payload thermal design, analysis, and integration from early concept through qualification, launch, and on‑orbit operations.
• Own the thermal technical interface with external customers, including requirements definition and design trades.
• Develop and maintain spacecraft‑ and payload‑level thermal models using Ansys Thermal Desktop.
• Develop and implement advanced passive thermal control solutions and active thermal‑fluid systems.
• Drive thermal design decisions and collaborate with other engineering disciplines to meet requirements.
• Plan and execute thermal subsystem milestones and technical reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR).
• Support thermal hardware development, integration, build, and test, including thermal vacuum testing.
• Correlate test and flight data to thermal models to improve accuracy.

Skills

Thermal design

Heat transfer

Analytical thinking

Fast-paced work

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering

Tools

Ansys Thermal Desktop

Siemens NX

Teamcenter

Job description

Apex Technology, Inc. in Playa Vista, CA is seeking a Senior Thermal Engineer to own the thermal design and performance of our spacecraft from concept through flight. You will solve complex thermal challenges, develop and validate spacecraft‑level models, and influence hardware design and mission performance.

You will work hands‑on with flight hardware and collaborate across engineering teams to take thermal systems from early design through integration, test, launch, and on‑orbit operations.