Senior Spacecraft Thermal Engineer — Hybrid, Equity

Observable Space; Los Angeles (CA); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive Compensation

Equity Opportunities

Flexible Work Environment

Unlimited PTO

Health & Wellness

Cutting-Edge Tools

Mission-Driven Culture

Inclusive Team

Job summary

Observable Space in Los Angeles is seeking a hands-on Senior Spacecraft Thermal Engineer to design and develop thermal control systems for telescope platforms and spacecraft. You will work with a multidisciplinary team to ensure thermal stability and performance for ground-based and future space deployments.

You will model, analyze, and verify thermal behavior across environments, support TVAC testing, and contribute to the full product lifecycle from concept to production.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering or equivalent.
• 5+ years of experience in thermal engineering for aerospace or high-performance systems.
• Solid heat transfer knowledge: conduction, convection, radiation.
• Experience with thermal analysis tools (Thermal Desktop, SINDA/FLUINT, ANSYS).
• Experience developing and validating thermal models for complex systems.
• Effective communicator and collaborator.
• Demonstrated passion for aerospace or observational technologies.

Responsibilities

• Design and optimize thermal control systems for spacecraft and telescope platforms (radiators, heaters, insulation, straps, enclosures).
• Develop thermal models and perform detailed thermal analysis (steady-state and transient).
• Perform STOP analysis to verify system-level thermal stability and optical impact.
• Conduct FEA simulations for thermal, structural, and environmental conditions.
• Collaborate with optics, mechanical, and electrical teams for thermal integration with imaging and sensing subsystems.
• Define thermal requirements, margins, and verification strategies.
• Support environmental testing including TVAC and thermal cycling.
• Support full product lifecycle from concept to production.
• Participate in design reviews and internal documentation.

Skills

Thermal engineering

Aerospace systems

Heat transfer fundamentals

Thermal analysis tools

Modeling and simulation

Communication & collaboration

Startup environment experience

Scripting (Python MATLAB)

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering

Tools

Thermal Desktop

SINDA/FLUINT

ANSYS

FEA software

Python

MATLAB

Job description

Observable Space in Los Angeles is seeking a hands-on Senior Spacecraft Thermal Engineer to design and develop thermal control systems for telescope platforms and spacecraft. You will work with a multidisciplinary team to ensure thermal stability and performance for ground-based and future space deployments.

You will model, analyze, and verify thermal behavior across environments, support TVAC testing, and contribute to the full product lifecycle from concept to production.