Spacecraft Thermal Engineer III

Firefly Aerospace, Inc.

Cedar Park (TX)

On-site

USD 120,000 - 180,000

Full time

1 hour ago

Be an early applicant

A complete application in a minute

Tailored resume and cover letter, ready to send.

Get past ATS filters

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, vision plans

Parental leave

Relocation benefits

Educational reimbursement

Short term disability

Flexible PTO

Job summary

Firefly Aerospace, Inc. in Texas seeks a Senior Thermal Engineer to provide technical leadership for spacecraft thermal analysis across multiple programs.

You will develop analytical approaches for complex thermal challenges, establish modeling strategies, mentor engineers, and influence major program decisions. This role requires deep expertise in spacecraft thermal engineering, strong technical judgment, and the ability to independently lead multidisciplinary efforts involving analysis,

Qualifications

Bachelor-level degree in aerospace, mechanical, physics or related field required.
8–15+ years spacecraft thermal analysis experience preferred.
Experience with instrumentation and testing of thermal hardware beneficial.

Responsibilities

Lead thermal analyses that drive major vehicle design decisions across multiple spacecraft programs.
Own the architecture, validation, and long-term maintenance of integrated spacecraft thermal models.
Develop innovative analytical methods, workflows, and automation to improve team capability and efficiency.
Lead thermal trade studies involving mission environments, propulsion effects, lunar surface interactions, cryogenics, and advanced thermal control technologies.
Define thermal analysis strategies supporting conceptual design through flight.
Organize and lead testing, including vehicle-level thermal vacuum testing.
Serve as the point of contact for the thermal control subsystem during launch operations.

Skills

Thermal analysis

Technical leadership

Communication skills

Instrumentation experience

Education

B.S. in Aerospace Eng, Mechanical Eng, Physics, or related field

M.S. or Ph.D.

Tools

Thermal Desktop

Thermal analysis software

Job description

At Firefly, we’re focused on making space attainable for everyone – including you! Each team member’s passion, dedication, and innovative ideas have a direct impact on fueling our successful trajectory into space. And there’s no shortage of meaningful projects to work on at Firefly. With launch, lunar, and orbital vehicles, Firefly has a diverse line of business with opportunities to get hands‑on experience launching rockets, operating in space, and landing on the Moon.

Our missions are powered by our incredible team ...

836 11

What does SciTec bring to the Firefly family?
...

232 0

Peep our Elytra orbiter being assembled in the ...

709 3

Start your week with another Manufacturing Minute! ...

436 13

This World Space Week, remember to look up and ...

The engine powering Alpha`s first stage is truly ...

848 4

Our Values

Headquartered in the Lone Star State, Firefly’s hardworking team reflects Texas’ GO BIG culture in everything we do. We build big, achieve big, and dream big. We’re building launch vehicles and spacecraft to provide rapid, reliable space access. We’ve achieved some incredible wins, including the first successful commercial Moon landing. And we’re dreaming bigger than this planet with ambitions to Mars, Venus, and beyond. Our core values are what drive us along the way.

Passion

Fireflies believe in perseverance, responsiveness, and mentoring others with a focus on inspiring a better future.

Accountability

Fireflies act with integrity and take ownership of our actions, commitments, decisions, and outcomes.

Fireflies work in alignment across teams and communicate clearly with mutual respect for one another.

Fireflies deliver high-quality work through technical rigor and timely disciplined execution for our customers.

We take care of our Fireflies with some of the best benefits in the industry. Our mission to make space for everyone starts with our employees and allowing them to make space for their family, their career, and their future.

Space for You

Unlimited PTO for exempt employees
3-month sabbatical for every 5 years of service
Medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance
Mental health services
Paid military leave

Space for Your Family

12 weeks paid maternity leave
4 weeks paid spouse leave
$20k towards family planning: fertility, surrogacy, adoption
Dog friendly workplace

Space for Your Career

$10k/year towards trade school or college
Ongoing coaching to advance leadership skills

Employee-ownership with stock bonuses
4% Safe Harbor 401(k) matching
$10k bonus for home purchase in Cedar Park, Texas

Job Openings

From launch technicians to propulsion engineers, Firefly has open roles across the company. We’re looking for passionate, bright innovators to join our team and help make space an achievable dream for everyone.

Firefly Aerospace is a space and defense technology company that enables our world to launch, land, and operate in space – anywhere, anytime. As the partner of choice for critical space missions, Firefly is the only commercial company to launch a satellite to orbit with 24-hour notice and the only company to achieve a successful Moon landing. Our launch vehicles, lunar landers, and orbital vehicles provide government and commercial customers with full mission services from low Earth orbit to the Moon and beyond. Headquartered in north Austin, Texas, Firefly is looking for passionate, hardworking innovators to join our team and help fuel our successful trajectory into space.

SUMMARY

Firefly Senior Thermal Engineers provide technical leadership for spacecraft thermal analysis across multiple vehicle programs. They develop analytical approaches for complex thermal challenges, establish modeling strategies, mentor engineers across the organization, and influence major program decisions throughout vehicle development.

This role requires deep expertise in spacecraft thermal engineering, strong technical judgment, and the ability to independently lead multidisciplinary efforts involving analysis, testing, and vehicle design.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Lead thermal analyses that drive major vehicle design decisions across multiple spacecraft programs.
Own the architecture, validation, and long-term maintenance of integrated spacecraft thermal models.
Develop innovative analytical methods, workflows, and automation that improve team capability and efficiency.
Lead thermal trade studies involving mission environments, propulsion effects, lunar surface interactions, cryogenics, and advanced thermal control technologies.
Define thermal analysis strategies supporting conceptual design through flight.
Organize and lead testing, including vehicle-level thermal vacuum testing.
Serve as the point of contact for the thermal control subsystem during launch operations.
Lead model validation efforts using thermal vacuum, qualification, acceptance, and flight data.
Mentor and technically review work performed by thermal engineers across multiple experience levels.
Represent Thermal Engineering during customer reviews and major program design reviews.
Provide technical leadership during anomaly investigations and rapid-response engineering efforts.
Influence organizational best practices, analytical standards, and long-term capability development.
Support hiring, technical interviews, and development of the thermal engineering team.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

B.S. in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, or related field
Approximately 8–15+ years of spacecraft thermal analysis experience
Expert knowledge of spacecraft heat transfer and thermal control systems
Extensive experience with Thermal Desktop and industry-standard thermal analysis software
Demonstrated success leading thermal analyses through design, testing, and flight
Experience with instrumentation and testing thermal hardware
Experience correlating analytical models using environmental and flight data
Excellent technical leadership and communication skills
Proven ability to independently scope, execute, defend, and communicate complex analyses
M.S. or Ph.D.
Experience supporting NASA, DoD, or commercial spacecraft programs
Experience developing new thermal analysis methodologies or software automation
Familiarity with thermal standards (e.g., GSFC-STD-7001B, SMC-S-016, RCC-319, Spacecraft Payload requirements)
Experience organizing and executing thermal vacuum tests
Experience with advanced spacecraft thermal control technologies, lunar environments, plume heating, and mission‑specific thermal phenomena

Firefly offers outstanding benefits for our employees, including generous health, dental and vision plans with low plan deductibles, parental leave, relocation benefits, educational reimbursement, short term disability, and flexible PTO options.

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Firefly Aerospace, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Firefly is governed based on merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

Get your free, confidential resume review.

or drag and drop your file here.