Senior Thermal Engineer - Space Systems & Heat Management

SGS Consulting; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

SGS Consulting is seeking a senior Thermal Engineer to lead thermal modeling and analysis for space-grade systems in the Boston area. You will develop geometry-based thermal models, apply material properties, and drive thermal management decisions across satellite and payload designs.

Responsibilities include radiator sizing, hardware selection, and planning TVAC tests, with experience in ANSYS, COMSOL, Thermal Desktop, and ICEPAK highly valued.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Physics, or related STEM field — Required
• Master’s degree in engineering or related discipline — Preferred
• 10+ years of experience in thermal engineering and analysis.

Responsibilities

• Develop_geometry-based thermal models using commercial software (Thermal Desktop, Ansys, COMSOL).
• Apply physical and optical properties and account for critical mounting interfaces.
• Apply dissipative heat loads and execute thermal analyses to maintain safe operating temperatures.
• Support system design decisions and overall thermal management strategies.
• Evaluate, select, and procure thermal control hardware components.
• Participate in developmental and qualification thermal testing.
• Conduct system-level and detailed thermal design, analysis, and testing on optical, communication, and electronic systems.
• Perform thermal radiator sizing and placement for satellites and space payloads.
• Develop architectures for cooling high-powered components.
• Track component thermal margins relative to requirements.
• Assess transient thermal system behavior in space environments.
• Plan and execute thermal vacuum (TVAC) tests for model correlation and requirements verification.

Skills

Thermal Engineering

Thermal Architecture

Thermal Desktop

ANSYS

COMSOL

ICEPAK

CAD Software

Thermal Analysis

Thermal Vacuum Testing

Space Systems

Thermal Model Development

Thermal Testing

Thermal Control Hardware

Thermal Radiator Sizing

Finite Element Modeling

Finite Difference Modeling

Thermal Margin Tracking

Transient Thermal Analysis

Thermal Simulation

Environmental Testing

Heat Load Application

Thermal Design

Thermal System Verification

Independent program management

TVAC testing

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Master's degree in Engineering

Tools

ANSYS

COMSOL

Thermal Desktop

ICEPAK

CAD Software

Job description

SGS Consulting is seeking a senior Thermal Engineer to lead thermal modeling and analysis for space-grade systems in the Boston area. You will develop geometry-based thermal models, apply material properties, and drive thermal management decisions across satellite and payload designs.

Responsibilities include radiator sizing, hardware selection, and planning TVAC tests, with experience in ANSYS, COMSOL, Thermal Desktop, and ICEPAK highly valued.