Senior Thermal Engineer, Space

Anduril Industries; Costa Mesa (CA); On-site; USD 146,000 - 194,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans

Generous time off with holiday hiatus

Access to mental health resources

Professional development reimbursement

Job summary

A defense technology firm in California is seeking a Senior Thermal Engineer to own thermal design and analysis for space hardware. This role includes conducting tests, communicating status at reviews, and developing internal tools. Ideal candidates will have a relevant engineering degree, experience in thermal analysis, and a passion for defense. The position offers a competitive salary range of $146,000—$194,000 and comprehensive benefits package.

Qualifications

• Experience in heat transfer in academic or professional settings.
• Hands-on experience on hardware prototyping and thermal tests.
• Ability to obtain and hold a U.S. Top Secret security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Own the thermal design and analysis for space hardware.
• Develop and execute thermal tests to inform analysis.
• Communicate thermal status at formal reviews.

Skills

Heat transfer knowledge

Thermal simulation tools

Prototyping experience

CAD experience

Passion for defense

Education

BS, MS, or higher degree in engineering

Tools

Thermal Desktop

Siemens NX

Job description

Senior Thermal Engineer, Space

Anduril Industries is a defense technology company with a mission to transform U.S. and allied military capabilities with advanced technology. By bringing the expertise, technology, and business model of the 21st century’s most innovative companies to the defense industry, Anduril is changing how military systems are designed, built and sold. Anduril’s family of systems is powered by Lattice OS, an AI‑powered operating system that turns thousands of data streams into a realtime, 3D command and control center. As the world enters an era of strategic competition, Anduril is committed to bringing cutting‑edge autonomy, AI, computer vision, sensor fusion, and networking technology to the military in months, not years.

About The Team

Anduril's Space team is dedicated to expanding our AI‑powered capabilities into the final frontier, enhancing Space Domain Awareness, Space Control, and Command and Control for U.S. military and allied partners. We're developing fully integrated hardware and software systems, including Lattice for Space Missions and modular payloads, to address growing threats in space and ensure our Guardians maintain a decisive advantage in this contested war‑fighting domain.

What You’ll Do

• Own the thermal design, analysis, test, and associated component vendor management of a space hardware development program.
• Use first principles as a basis for every decision and discern the right level of analysis to apply. Execute hand calculations, spreadsheet, and MATLAB/Python first‑order models to inform path forward before jumping into detailed design.
• Define good thermal architecture to withstand the space environments. Define and quantify hot, cold, and any other edge cases that drive the system.
• Communicate pros/cons of system architecture with respect to thermal considerations.
• Present thermal status at formal reviews internally and with customers. Provide clear understanding of timelines and technical status.
• Develop internal tools to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of analysis.
• Develop, prepare, and execute thermal tests to inform analysis and reduce risk on key hardware assemblies.
• Develop a database of materials, thermal properties, and vendors of thermal hardware for use in space.
• Support failure reviews and root‑cause analysis with test data and thermal analysis.

Required Qualifications

• BS, MS, or higher degree in engineering, applied physics, or hard science
• Demonstrated knowledge of heat transfer in academic and/or professional setting
• Proficiency in Thermal Desktop or equivalent thermal simulation tool
• Hands on experience prototyping hardware and conducting thermal tests. Experience with CAD, selecting instrumentation, post‑processing data, correlating models
• CAD experience (Siemens NX preferred)
• Passion for defending the United States and her allies
• Must be a U.S. Person due to required access to U.S. export controlled information or facilities

Preferred Qualifications

• 7+ years professional experience as a thermal analyst using Thermal Desktop
• Design or test experience on a space platform
• Experience developing code in higher‑level languages like Python or MATLAB for applications like lumped thermal capacitance steady state and transient analysis
• Be able to obtain and hold a U.S. Top Secret security clearance.

Salary Range

$146,000—$194,000 USD. The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary offer may vary based on work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations.

Healthcare Benefits

Highly competitive equity grants are included in the majority of full‑time offers, and are considered part of Anduril's total compensation package. Additionally, Anduril offers top‑tier benefits for full‑time employees, including:

• US Roles: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans at little to no cost to you.
• UK & AUS Roles: We cover full cost of medical insurance premiums for you and your dependents.
• IE Roles: We offer an annual contribution toward your private health insurance for you and your dependents.

Additional Benefits

• Income Protection: Anduril covers life and disability insurance for all employees.
• Generous time off: Highly competitive PTO plans with a holiday hiatus in December. Caregiver & Wellness Leave is available to care for family members, bond with a new baby, or address your own medical needs.
• Family Planning & Parenting Support: Coverage for fertility treatments (e.g., IVF, preservation), adoption, and gestational carriers, along with resources to support you and your partner from planning to parenting.
• Mental Health Resources: Access free mental health resources 24/7, including therapy and life coaching. Additional work‑life services, such as legal and financial support, are also available.
• Professional Development: Annual reimbursement for professional development.
• Commuter Benefits: Company‑funded commuter benefits based on your region.
• Relocation Assistance: Available depending on role eligibility.

Retirement Savings Plan

• US Roles: Traditional 401(k), Roth, and after‑tax (mega backdoor Roth) options.
• UK & IE Roles: Pension plan with employer match.
• AUS Roles: Superannuation plan.

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