Senior TPS Mechanical Engineer – Hypersonic & Space Systems

Canopy Aerospace & Defense; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental & vision insurance

401K company match

Paid sick leave

Paid vacation

Paid holidays

Discretionary bonuses

Job summary

Canopy Aerospace & Defense is seeking a TPS expert to own end‑to‑end component development, from requirements to delivery, with a focus on material trade studies and robust, manufacturable designs for hypersonic environments.

You will collaborate across aerothermal, design, materials, and test teams, develop CAD/ drawings and ICDs, and support fast‑paced testing campaigns to iterate on hardware. A Secret clearance or ability to obtain one is required.

Qualifications

• 4+ years designing and owning TPS components or assemblies qualified through flight or high-enthalpy testing
• Knowledge of TPS materials/architectures (thermal blankets, ablative carbon composites, ceramics, cryogenic insulation) for re‑entry/hypersonic environments
• Full lifecycle design: concept through manufacturing with 3D CAD modeling, drawing release, and GD&T
• Strong foundation in structural mechanics, thermodynamics, heat transfer, and ablation mechanics
• Proven track record delivering hardware on accelerated schedules
• Strong interdisciplinary communication across cross‑functional teams
• U.S. Security Clearance Eligibility: Active Secret clearance or ability to obtain and maintain one

Responsibilities

• Own end‑to‑end TPS component development from requirements through hardware delivery
• Drive material trade studies balancing thermal survivability and manufacturability
• Collaborate with aerothermal, design, materials, and test groups to translate heat flux into robust designs
• Develop CAD drawings, ICDs, and interface with manufacturing to ensure parts meet spec
• Support rigorous testing campaigns and data reduction to iterate designs
• Serve as resident SME in TPS technologies and standards
• Lead technical sections of proposals and new product development

Skills

TPS design

Trade studies

CAD & GD&T

Materials science

Test data analysis

Technical leadership

Proposal development

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Graduate degree in Mechanical/Aerospace/Materials

Tools

3D CAD software

Arc-jet facilities

Job description

Canopy Aerospace & Defense is seeking a TPS expert to own end‑to‑end component development, from requirements to delivery, with a focus on material trade studies and robust, manufacturable designs for hypersonic environments.

You will collaborate across aerothermal, design, materials, and test teams, develop CAD/ drawings and ICDs, and support fast‑paced testing campaigns to iterate on hardware. A Secret clearance or ability to obtain one is required.