Senior Thermal Engineer

Astranis Space Technologies Corp.; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 165,000 - 245,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Health insurance

401(k) retirement plan

Flexible PTO

Catered on-site meals

Disability insurance

Life insurance

Job summary

Astranis Space Technologies Corp. is seeking a Senior Thermal Engineer to design, evaluate, and test thermal solutions for spacecraft, from chips to full assemblies. You will perform thermal analyses and lead hardware development with hands-on testing.

Experience with spacecraft or PCB thermal mitigation is a plus but not required. You will champion thermal design trades, plan vacuum testing, mentor junior engineers, and contribute to recruiting as our team grows.

Qualifications

• BS in engineering or physics.
• 5+ years in a thermal/mechanical role.
• Experience in thermal analysis and thermally-constrained design; finite methods preferred but not required.
• Proficiency with mechanical CAD.
• Passion for hardware development in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Identify feasible thermal architectures and mature designs across design phases.
• Balance performance margins, resources, risk, cost and schedule in design trades.
• Perform thermal analysis from simplified to detailed for various hardware types.
• Design, procure and test heaters, heat pipes, TIMs, and surface coatings.
• Develop integration/assembly processes to meet thermal design intent; collaborate with IT/test teams.
• Plan and run thermal vacuum testing at component and spacecraft levels.
• Mentor and support junior engineers; assist in recruiting.

Skills

Thermal analysis

Mechanical CAD

Hands-on hardware development

Thermal design

Finite methods (preferred)

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 $1.2 billion from some of the world's best investors, including Andreessen Horowitz, Baillie Gifford, Blackrock, Fidelity, Franklin Templeton, and Snowpoint, and employs a team of 500 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
• 5+ 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

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 Level I: $165,000 – $210,000 USD

Base Salary Level II: $195,000 – $245,000 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.