Spacecraft Thermal Engineer — Radiator Design & CFD

Blue Origin; Denver (CO); On-site; USD 98,000 - 137,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

401(k) with company match

Stock options

Paid time off

Job summary

Blue Origin is seeking a passionate Thermal Engineer to focus on high-performance radiators and thermal control for in-space systems. The role emphasizes CFD-driven analysis, thermal modeling, and integration across design, manufacturing, and testing.

Responsibilities include validation of models against test data, collaboration with interdisciplinary teams, and addressing complex heat transfer challenges in a harsh space environment.

Qualifications

• BS in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering or related field.
• 2+ years in thermal design/analysis or advanced degree with heat transfer focus.
• Fundamental heat transfer principles (conduction, convection, radiation).
• Experience with a thermal analysis or CFD software package (Thermal Desktop, Sinda/Fluint, Star-CCM+, Ansys Fluent).
• U.S. citizen or eligible for US employment.

Responsibilities

• Design and analyze high-performance radiators and thermal control systems for spacecraft.
• Develop and apply thermal models to predict component/system performance using CAD/CAE tools.
• Analyze spacecraft thermal environments including orbital mechanics, solar, albedo, and planetary IR heating.
• Support thermal hardware lifecycle from concept to testing.
• Use CFD and other tools to investigate two-phase flow in heat rejection loops.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to define requirements and interfaces.
• Analyze test data to anchor models and demonstrate compliance.

Skills

Thermal design

Heat transfer

CFD concepts

Education

Bachelor of Science in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering

Master's or PhD in relevant field (preferred)

Tools

Thermal Desktop

Sinda/Fluint

Star-CCM+

Ansys Fluent

Job description

Blue Origin is seeking a passionate Thermal Engineer to focus on high-performance radiators and thermal control for in-space systems. The role emphasizes CFD-driven analysis, thermal modeling, and integration across design, manufacturing, and testing.

Responsibilities include validation of models against test data, collaboration with interdisciplinary teams, and addressing complex heat transfer challenges in a harsh space environment.