Senior Thermal Engineer

CesiumAstro; Westminster (CO); On-site; USD 133,000 - 161,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Health, dental, vision

HSA/FSA

Retirement plans

Job summary

CesiumAstro in Westminster, CO, seeks a Senior Thermal Engineer to lead design, analysis and validation of thermal control systems for space hardware. You will shape concepts, build models, run simulations, and collaborate with E and M engineers to deliver optimized thermal solutions for satellites and airborne platforms.

The role requires a BS or higher in Mechanical, Thermal, or Aerospace Engineering, 5 years of experience, and proficiency with ANSYS/Thermal Desktop and SolidWorks.

Qualifications

• Bachelor or higher in Mechanical/Thermal/Aerospace Engineering.
• 5 years of thermal/mechanical design and analysis experience.
• Experience with electronics/PCBA thermal design and analysis.
• Proficiency with ANSYS or Thermal Desktop and SolidWorks.
• Experience designing radiative, conductive and convective heat transfer.

Responsibilities

• Lead thermal designs from concept through verification and qualification.
• Collaborate with electrical and mechanical engineers on integrated solutions.
• Present design reviews to customers and management and assist in proposals.

Skills

Thermal design

Heat transfer

ANSYS

SolidWorks

Thermal modeling

Automation tools

Education

BS degree in Mechanical, Thermal, or Aerospace Engineering

Tools

ANYS S

Thermal Desktop

Job description

_ Please Note: To conform with the United States Government Space Technology Export Regulations, the applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., conditional resident, asylee or refugee (protected individuals as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State._

At CesiumAstro , we are developers and pioneers of out-of-the-box communication systems for satellites, UAVs, launch vehicles, and other space and airborne platforms. We take pride in our dynamic and cross-functional work environment, which allows us to learn, develop, and engage across our organization. If you are looking for hands‑on, interactive, and autonomous work, CesiumAstro is the place for you. We are actively seeking passionate, collaborative, energetic, and forward‑thinking individuals to join our team.

We are looking to add a Senior Thermal Engineer to our team. If you enjoy working in a startup environment and are passionate about developing leading‑edge hardware for satellites, spacecraft, and aerospace systems, we would like to hear from you.

In this position, you will be responsible for the design, analysis, and validation of thermal control systems for Cesium’s next‑generation products. The ideal candidate will combine extensive experience in developing and analyzing thermal management systems for spacecraft, satellite electronics, and airborne systems with deep knowledge in space and aerospace thermal environments.

As a senior member of a cross‑functional team, you will be responsible for thermal designs from initial concept design through requirements definition, detailed design, simulation/analysis, manufacturing, testing, qualification of Cesium’s products. You will work closely with other electrical and mechanical engineers on an integrated team to develop highly optimized solutions.

The successful candidate will also present engineering design review materials to customers and upper management, as well as participate in proposal‑writing efforts. As such, excellent written and verbal communication skills are required.

JOB REQUIREMENTS AND MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• A Bachelor of Science (BS) or higher in Mechanical, Thermal, or Aerospace Engineering from an accredited university or institution.
• 5 years of industry experience in thermal/mechanical design and analysis utilizing a mixture of numerical and analytical techniques. A Master of Science may count as 2 years of experience.
• Expertise in electronics/PCBA, box, and system‑level thermal design and analysis.
• Strong proficiency in professional simulation tools such as ANSYS (preferred) or Thermal Desktop, as well as MCAD tools such as SolidWorks (preferred).
• Strong mechanical engineering and heat transfer foundation.
• Experience designing and analyzing radiative, conductive and convective heat transfer for various applications.
• Experience building thermal resistance networks and reduced order thermal models for complex thermal systems.
• Experience correlating thermal models with thermal chamber or TVAC test results.
• Experience developing analysis automation tools (spreadsheet or script‑based).
• Familiarity with common manufacturing processes for thermal control systems.
• Familiarity with the development of thermal control systems and fixtures for lab environments.

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE

• Expertise in thermal management of phased array and/or high‑power RF electronics.
• Experience in thermal analysis of electronics at the die, lead‑frame, and package level.
• Proficiency with computational scripting languages (Matlab, Python, Mathematica, etc.).

$133,000 - $161,000 a year

CesiumAstro considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the role and associated responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience, education/training, and key skills. Full‑time employment offers include company stock options and a generous benefits package including health, dental, vision, HSA, FSA, life, disability and retirement plans.

CesiumAstro is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard torace, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected Veteran Status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Please note: CesiumAstro does not accept unsolicited resumes from contract agencies or search firms. Any unsolicited resumes submitted to our website or to CesiumAstro team members will be considered property of CesiumAstro, and we will not be obligated to pay any referral fees.