Senior Thermal Structural Analysis Engineer

Portalsystems; Bothell (WA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading aerospace firm is seeking a Senior Thermal Structural Analysis Engineer based in Bothell, WA. This full-time role involves developing coupled thermal-structural analyses to ensure the integrity of spacecraft structures in high-temperature environments. Candidates should have 2–5 years of relevant experience and proficiency with thermal analysis tools, Python, and MATLAB. The position also requires collaboration with propulsion and test teams to support structural verification and documentation of methodologies.

Qualifications

• 2–5 years of experience in thermal-structural or thermo-mechanical analysis.
• Proficiency developing and maintaining coupled thermal–structural FEMs.
• Experience evaluating elevated-temperature material behavior.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain coupled thermal–structural finite element models.
• Perform thermo-mechanical stress analyses driven by thermal gradients.
• Support structural verification through qualification and flight readiness.

Skills

Thermal-structural analysis

Coupled thermal-structural FEMs

Python programming

MATLAB

Version control (Git)

Education

B.S. or M.S. in Aerospace Engineering

Tools

FEMAP/Nastran

Siemens Simcenter 3D

Job description

Senior Thermal Structural Analysis Engineer

The Thermal-Structural Analysis Engineer is responsible for substantiating spacecraft structures operating in high-temperature and thermally severe environments. This role owns coupled thermal–structural analyses used to evaluate stress, deformation, and margin of safety for propulsion-adjacent and elevated-temperature hardware. The position works closely with propulsion, thermal, materials, and test teams to ensure structural integrity is maintained across qualification and flight environments.

Responsibilities

Primary Responsibilities – Thermal-Structural Substantiation

• Develop and maintain coupled thermal–structural finite element models for spacecraft hardware operating in elevated-temperature environments
• Perform thermo-mechanical stress, distortion, fatigue, and margin of safety analyses driven by thermal gradients and transient heating
• Evaluate high-temperature material behavior and structural performance using analysis and first-principles hand calculations
• Partner with propulsion, thermal, and design teams to validate and optimize structural designs for strength, stiffness, weight, and thermal durability
• Support structural verification of propulsion-adjacent and thermally driven hardware through qualification and flight readiness
• Define, execute, and interpret elevated-temperature material strength testing to characterize mechanical properties and support thermo-mechanical structural verification

Additional Responsibilities – Testing, Correlation & Automation

• Define and support elevated-temperature material and structural test campaigns to characterize thermo-mechanical behavior
• Correlate analytical predictions with high-temperature test data and resolve discrepancies using first-principles reasoning
• Develop Python-based tools to automate coupled analysis post-processing, reporting, and verification workflows
• Contribute to documentation of thermal-structural assumptions, methods, and verification rationale

Basic Qualifications

• 2–5 years of experience in thermal-structural or thermo-mechanical analysis for aerospace systems
• Experience performing coupled thermal–structural stress, deformation, and margin of safety analyses
• Proficiency developing and maintaining coupled thermal–structural FEMs using FEMAP/Nastran or Siemens Simcenter 3D
• Experience evaluating elevated-temperature material behavior and structural performance
• Experience supporting propulsion or thruster-adjacent hardware operating in high-temperature environments
• Proficiency with Python and/or MATLAB for analysis automation, data reduction, and reporting
• Experience using version control systems such as Git in an engineering analysis environment
• BS or MS in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related engineering discipline

Preferred skills & Experience

• Strong ability to perform coupled thermal–structural analysis for spacecraft hardware in elevated-temperature environments
• Deep understanding of thermal gradient-driven stress, distortion, and failure mechanisms
• Ability to model, interpret, and validate high-temperature material behavior within structural analyses
• Proficiency in using first-principles hand calculations to bound and verify coupled FEM results
• Ability to correlate thermo-mechanical analysis with high-temperature test data and resolve discrepancies
• Clear technical communication skills for documenting assumptions, methods, and verification rationale

Location

Bothell, WA

Full-time