Senior Thermal Engineer

Astranis Space Technologies; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 145,000 - 235,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Healthcare

401(k)

On-site meals

Job summary

Astranis Space Technologies in Northern California is seeking a Senior Thermal Engineer to design, evaluate, and test thermal solutions from electronic chips to full spacecraft thermal vacuum tests. You will apply strong problem-solving skills and hands-on testing experience; prior spacecraft or PCB thermal mitigation helps but is not required.

You will lead design trades, perform variable-fidelity thermal analyses, and collaborate with the integration and test teams to ensure thermal design

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science degree in engineering or physics.
• 8+ years of experience in a thermal/mechanical role.
• Experience in thermal analysis and thermally-constrained design; computational thermal design experience is not required but highly preferred.
• Proficiency with mechanical CAD.
• A passion and enthusiasm for hardware development, including working in a fast-paced environment and hands-on design and development.
• Don't meet them all? Not a problem. Please apply even if you do not meet all these criteria.

Responsibilities

• Identify feasible thermal architectures and mature designs through conceptual, preliminary, and detailed design phases using practical passive and active thermal control techniques.
• Take charge of design trades that balance performance margins, resource use, risk, cost, and schedule.
• Perform thermal analysis to varying degrees of fidelity on various hardware types (propulsion components, batteries, high powered electronics, RF components, mechanisms, PCBs).
• Design, evaluate, procure and test thermal solutions such as heaters, heat pipes, thermal interface materials, and surface coatings.
• Develop processes and procedures for integration and assembly ensuring thermal design intent is met; collaborate with TEST teams as needed.
• Plan and run thermal vacuum testing and verification at component and spacecraft level.
• Mentor and support junior engineers.
• Assist in recruiting, interviewing, and hiring additional teammates.

Skills

Thermal analysis

Mechanical CAD

Hands-on testing

Thermal mitigation

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor of Science in engineering or physics

Tools

Thermal Desktop

ANSYS Mechanical

ANSYS IcePak

Job description

Astranis builds advanced satellites for high orbits, expanding humanity’s reach into the solar system. Today, Astranis satellites provide dedicated, secure networks to highly-sophisticated customers across the globe— large enterprises, sovereign governments, and the US military. With five satellites on orbit and many more set to launch soon, the company is servicing a backlog of more than $1 billion of commercial contracts.

Astranis is the preferred satellite communications partner for buyers with stringent requirements for uptime, data security, network visibility, and customization. Astranis has raised over $750 million from some of the world’s best investors, from Andreessen Horowitz to Blackrock and Fidelity, and employs a team of 450 engineers and entrepreneurs. Astranis designs, builds, and operates its satellites out of its 153,000 sq. ft. headquarters in Northern California, USA.

As an Astranis Senior Thermal Engineer, you will design, evaluate and test thermal solutions ranging from electronic chips to full spacecraft thermal vacuum tests. You must have a strong problem-solving background as well as hands-on testing skills. Experience with spacecraft or printed circuit board thermal mitigation are benefits but not required.

Role

• Identify feasible thermal architectures and mature designs through conceptual, preliminary, and detailed design phases using practical passive and active thermal control techniques.
• Take charge of design trades that successfully balance performance margins, resource use, risk, cost, and schedule.
• Perform thermal analysis to varying degrees of fidelity (simplified to detailed) on a variety of different types of hardware such as propulsion components, batteries, high powered electronics, RF components, mechanisms, and printed circuit boards (PCBs).
• Design, evaluate, procure and test thermal solutions such as heaters, heat pipes, thermal interface materials, and surface coatings.
• Develop processes and procedures for integration and assembly which ensure thermal design intent is met. Collaborate with the integration and test team in the installation of thermal hardware as needed.
• Plan and run thermal vacuum testing and verification at the component and spacecraft level.
• Mentor and support junior engineers.
• Assist in recruiting, interviewing, and hiring additional teammates to our rapidly-growing team.

Requirements

• Bachelor of Science degree in engineering or physics
• 8+ years of experience in a thermal/mechanical role
• Experience in thermal analysis and thermally-constrained design; computational thermal design experience (finite methods) is not required but highly preferred
• Proficiency with mechanical CAD
• A passion and enthusiasm for hardware development, including working in a fast-paced environment and hands‑on design and development
• Don't meet them all? Not a problem. Please apply even if you do not meet all these criteria.

Bonus

• Experience with Thermal Desktop
• Experience with ANSYS Mechanical or ANSYS IcePak
• Experience with Electronics Packaging and Printed Circuit Board (PCB) design
• Experience building and operating high vacuum systems
• Experience designing for a vacuum environment or environments with large temperature swings

What we offer:

All our positions offer a compensation package that includes equity and robust benefits. Base pay is just one component of Astranis’s total rewards package. Your compensation also includes a significant equity package via incentive stock options, high‑quality company‑subsidized healthcare, disability and life insurance, 401(k) retirement planning, flexible PTO, and free on‑site catered meals. Astranis pay ranges are informed and defined through professional‑grade salary surveys and compensation data sources. The actual base salary offered to a successful candidate will additionally be influenced by a variety of factors including experience, credentials & certifications, educational attainment, skill level requirements, and the level and scope of the position.

Base Salary

$145,000—$235,000 USD

U.S. Citizenship, Lawful Permanent Residency, Or Refugee/Asylee Status Required

(To comply with U.S. Government space technology export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the United States, or other protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3))

Our mission and products are built for everyone, regardless of gender, race, creed, or background. We believe in a diverse and inclusive workplace, and we invite all people to join our team and bring their unique perspectives to make us stronger.

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