Staff Thermal Engineer, Hypersonic Air Vehicles

Anduril Industries; Costa Mesa (CA); On-site; USD 191,000 - 275,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity grants

Competitive benefits

Top-tier health benefits

Job summary

Anduril Industries in Costa Mesa, CA is seeking a Thermal Engineer to lead design and analysis of thermal systems for unmanned aircraft and defense platforms, from concept to ground and flight testing.

You will use CFD/FEA tools (STAR-CCM+, ANSYS Fluent, NASTRAN/Abaqus) and develop MATLAB/Python models, collaborating with aerodynamics, structures, and electronics. Requires MS or higher in relevant field and 15+ years in aerospace thermal eng; Top Secret clearance preferred.

Qualifications

• MS or higher in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or Applied Physics with focus on heat transfer and fluid dynamics.
• Deep understanding of heat transfer, fluid dynamics, and high-temperature environments.
• 15+ years of aerospace thermal engineering experience on rocket, aircraft, or missile programs.
• Experience with CFD/FEA thermal solvers.
• Thermal‑structural coupling experience and ground testing with data acquisition.
• Strong programming in MATLAB, Python or similar for tool development.
• Experience preparing formal documentation.
• CAD experience with SolidWorks or Siemens NX.

Responsibilities

• Thermal design and analysis of unmanned air vehicles at conceptual, preliminary, and detailed design maturities.
• Define thermal system architectures and material selection strategies for vehicles operating in demanding flight environments.
• Thermal analysis of flight vehicles using CFD, FEA, and engineering methods.
• Material response modeling under combined thermal and mechanical loads.
• Transient thermal analysis for time‑varying mission profiles.
• Ground test planning, execution, and analysis in specialized thermal test facilities.
• Flight test planning, execution, and post‑flight thermal data analysis.
• Use first principles and MATLAB/Python models to inform design decisions.
• Collaborate with aerodynamics, structures, electrical, and systems engineers on integrated solutions.
• Present thermal status at formal reviews internally and with customers.
• Prepare formal documentation (specifications, test procedures, technical reports).

Skills

Heat transfer & fluid dynamics

MATLAB/Python programming

Ground testing instrumentation

Formal documentation

Education

MS or higher in Aerospace/Mechanical/Applied Physics

Tools

STAR-CCM+

ANSYS Fluent

NASTRAN

Abaqus

SolidWorks

Siemens NX

Job description

Anduril Industries is a defense technology company with a mission to transform U.S. and allied military capabilities with advanced technology. By bringing the expertise, technology, and business model of the 21st century’s most innovative companies to the defense industry, Anduril is changing how military systems are designed, built and sold. Anduril’s family of systems is powered by Lattice OS, an AI‑powered operating system that turns thousands of data streams into a real‑time, 3D command and control center. As the world enters an era of strategic competition, Anduril is committed to bringing cutting‑edge autonomy, AI, computer vision, sensor fusion, and networking technology to the military in months, not years.

About The Team

The Thermal Engineering team's work is essential to support our rapid innovation cycle and maintain the performance and reliability of advanced defense technologies. Thermal Engineers own the full development life cycle from conceptual design through ground testing and flight test analysis, ensuring high‑performance, resilient systems that meet the demands of complex, contested environments.

What You’ll Do

• Thermal design and analysis of unmanned air vehicles at conceptual, preliminary, and detailed design maturities
• Define thermal system architectures and material selection strategies for vehicles operating in demanding flight environments
• Thermal analysis of flight vehicles using CFD, FEA, and engineering methods
• Material response modeling under combined thermal and mechanical loads
• Transient thermal analysis for time‑varying mission profiles
• Ground test planning, execution, and analysis in specialized thermal test facilities
• Flight test planning, execution, and post‑flight thermal data analysis
• Use first principles and MATLAB/Python models to inform design decisions
• Collaborate with aerodynamics, structures, electrical, and systems engineers on integrated solutions
• Present thermal status at formal reviews internally and with customers
• Prepare formal documentation (specifications, test procedures, technical reports)

Required Qualifications

• MS or higher degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or Applied Physics with focus on heat transfer and fluid dynamics
• In‑depth understanding of heat transfer, fluid dynamics, and high‑temperature environments
• 15+ years of experience in aerospace thermal engineering on rocket, aircraft, or missile programs
• Experience with thermal analysis in high‑speed flight regimes
• Thermal analysis experience using CFD (STAR‑CCM+, ANSYS Fluent) and/or FEA thermal solvers
• Experience with thermal‑structural coupling
• Ground testing experience with thermal instrumentation and data acquisition
• Strong programming skills in MATLAB, Python, or similar for tool development
• Experience preparing formal documentation
• CAD experience with SolidWorks or Siemens NX
• Passion for defending the United States and her allies
• Ability to obtain and hold a U.S. Top Secret security clearance

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with material response modeling in extreme thermal environments
• Knowledge of material degradation and surface phenomena under demanding conditions
• Experience with specialized thermal ground test facilities
• Experience with chemical kinetics and finite‑rate chemistry modeling
• Flight test experience including instrumentation design and post‑flight analysis
• Experience with thermal‑structural analysis codes (NASTRAN, Abaqus, ANSYS Mechanical)
• Material characterization experience at elevated temperatures
• Experience with manufacturing and assembly of thermal systems
• Active U.S. security clearance

Salary

US Salary Range: $191,000—$275,000 USD

Salary is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary offer may vary based on work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations. Highly competitive equity grants are included in the majority of full time offers and are considered part of Anduril’s total compensation package. Additionally, Anduril offers top‑tier benefits for full‑time employees.

Benefits

At Anduril, we invest in our people. Our comprehensive, competitive benefits package (available at little to no cost to employees) ensures you’re supported in health, recovery, and whatever comes next. For more information, explore Our Benefits.