Thermal Engineer

Impulse Space

Redondo Beach (CA)

On-site

USD 95,000 - 115,000

Full time

4 days ago
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Benefits offered by this job

Stock options
Medical, vision & dental coverage
401(k) retirement plan

Job summary

Impulse Space is seeking a Thermal Engineer to own the thermal management of spacecraft from concept through flight, collaborating with a fast-paced agile team.

Responsibilities include developing thermal models, selecting hardware, and overseeing thermal testing to ensure design fidelity and successful integration with propulsion and structure. A strong candidate will lead projects, solve complex heat transfer challenges, and work with suppliers on material specs.

Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering.
  • 1+ years' experience developing and maintaining spacecraft thermal models.
  • 1+ years' experience selecting/designing thermal management hardware such as heat pipes, radiators, heaters, thermal paint, tape and MLI.
  • Ability to perform thermal testing, flight/ground testing and data analysis.
  • Creative, self-driven mindset with ability to lead projects to completion.

Responsibilities

  • Develop and maintain thermal models of spacecraft, systems, and components.
  • Determine appropriate physical properties, environments, and boundary conditions.
  • Select and design thermal management hardware.
  • Oversee and define thermal cycle and vacuum testing of components and spacecraft.
  • Analyze test data to correlate models and improve fidelity.
  • Collaborate with design engineers to implement thermal management strategies.
  • Communicate with suppliers to determine properties and specify material requirements.
  • Document analyses and designs including implementation instructions.

Skills

Thermal modeling
Thermal hardware design
Thermal testing
Project leadership
Analytical thinking

Education

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering

Tools

StarCCM+
Siemens Simcenter
Ansys Thermal Desktop

Job description

Department

Vehicle Engineering

Location

Redondo Beach

Compensation

$95,000 - $115,000 / year

Description

As a Thermal Engineer at Impulse, you will be responsible for thermal management of spacecraft from concept, analysis, and design, to implementation, testing, and flight while working closely with a fast-paced, agile team that strives to make a high-performance spacecraft from a clean sheet design.

Responsibilities
  • Develop and maintain thermal models of spacecraft, systems, and components
  • Determine appropriate physical properties, environments, and boundary conditions
  • Select and design of thermal management hardware
  • Oversee and define thermal cycle and vacuum testing of components and spacecraft
  • Analyze test data to correlate models and improve model fidelity
  • Collaborate with design engineers to implement effective thermal management strategies
  • Communicate with suppliers to determine properties and specify requirements of materials
  • Thoroughly document analyses and designs including instructions for implementation
Minimum Qualifications
  • Bachelor’s degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering
  • 1+ years' of demonstrated experience in developing and maintaining thermal models of spacecraft, systems, components, etc.
  • 1+ years' of demonstrated experience in selection/design and implementation of thermal management hardware such as heat pipes, radiators, heaters, thermal paint, tape and MLI
  • Ability to perform thermal testing, flight/ground testing and data analysis
  • In order to be successful in this role, you should be someone who is uniquely creative, self-driven, and is able to lead his or her projects to completion
Preferred Skills And Experience
  • Graduate work in numerical methods or heat transfer
  • Creative solutions to complex problems
  • Experience with successful thermal management strategies
  • Experience with cryogenic fluids and fluid analysis software such as Starccm+
  • Experience with Siemens Simcenter / Ansys Thermal and Thermal Desktop
  • Prior experience with spacecraft design
  • Experience working on a launch vehicle or satellite development effort
  • Experience in a startup or agile development environment
Additional Information

Compensation bands are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual level and base pay is determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on job-related skills, education, experience, technical capabilities and internal equity. In addition to base salary, for full-time hires, you may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of stock options, and access to medical, vision & dental coverage as well as access to a 401(k) retirement plan.

  • long-term incentives, in the form of stock options
  • access to medical, vision & dental coverage
  • access to a 401(k) retirement plan

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. Learn more about the ITAR here.

Impulse Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Impulse Space is governed on the basis of 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.

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