Senior Spacecraft Thermal Engineer – On‑Orbit Operations

AST SpaceMobile; Miami (FL); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

AST SpaceMobile in Florida is seeking a Senior Thermal Engineer to protect the thermal performance of a space-based communications system. The role focuses on on-orbit operations, analysis, and anomaly resolution, requiring a disciplined, detail-oriented engineer who can work independently and with cross-functional teams.

You will lead on-orbit thermal support, define FDIR limits, perform modeling with Thermal Desktop, Python, and MATLAB, and contribute to CONOPS and testing.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or related field.
• Minimum 5 years of experience as a spacecraft thermal engineer or closely related role.
• Master’s degree or higher is preferred.
• Strong collaboration and communication skills are essential.

Responsibilities

• Lead on-orbit thermal support activities for spacecraft systems.
• Define thermal fault detection, isolation, and recovery (FDIR) limits and automated responses across configurations.
• Lead troubleshooting and anomaly resolution efforts with the broader thermal engineering team.
• Support development of CONOPS to ensure thermal safety during all mission phases.
• Establish and improve processes for monitoring and analyzing on-orbit thermal telemetry data.
• Serve as liaison between thermal, flight operations, and software teams.
• Perform thermal modeling and analysis using industry-standard tools.
• Support spacecraft and subsystem-level thermal testing activities.
• Contribute to ongoing improvements in thermal design and processes and operational strategies.

Skills

Cross-functional collaboration

Attention to detail

Effective communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering

Master’s degree

Tools

Thermal Desktop

Python

MATLAB

Job description

AST SpaceMobile in Florida is seeking a Senior Thermal Engineer to protect the thermal performance of a space-based communications system. The role focuses on on-orbit operations, analysis, and anomaly resolution, requiring a disciplined, detail-oriented engineer who can work independently and with cross-functional teams.

You will lead on-orbit thermal support, define FDIR limits, perform modeling with Thermal Desktop, Python, and MATLAB, and contribute to CONOPS and testing.