Thermal Engineer

Cowboy Space Corporation

Seattle (WA)

On-site

USD 150,000 - 200,000

Full time

11 days ago

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Benefits offered by this job

Equity in Cowboy Space Corp.

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) retirement savings plan

Paid time off

10 paid holidays per year

Paid parental leave

Relocation assistance

Daily lunch & stocked kitchen

Job summary

Cowboy Space Corp. in Seattle seeks a seasoned Thermal Engineer to design, analyze, implement and validate thermal management for our space-based power and compute platform, focusing on high-power laser systems and spacecraft electronics in LEO.

You will perform thermal modeling with ANSYS Thermal Desktop, develop robust thermal control strategies, support testing campaigns, and collaborate with mechanical, electrical, and optics teams to ensure flight-ready performance.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering or related field.
3+ years in thermal analysis and design of spacecraft thermal systems.
Proficiency with ANSYS Thermal Desktop.
Strong understanding of thermodynamics and heat transfer.
Experience designing, selecting and testing thermal hardware (radiators, heat pipes, TIMs, heaters).
Spaceflight hardware qualification and acceptance testing experience.
Familiarity with vacuum chamber thermal testing.

Responsibilities

Thermal System Design: develop spacecraft thermal management architectures for high-power components.
Thermal Analysis & Modeling: use tools like ANSYS Thermal Desktop to predict behavior in space.
Thermal System Optimization: balance size, weight, and power to optimize solutions.
Thermal Testing & Validation: lead thermal cycle and thermal-vacuum tests for flight-worthiness.
Integration with Mechanical & Electrical Systems: collaborate to ensure seamless integration.
Material Selection: pick space-grade thermal materials and insulation.
Reliability & Safety: analyze failures and implement redundancy in thermal controls.
Collaboration: work with optics, avionics, and propulsion teams on thermal constraints.

Skills

Thermal analysis

Spacecraft thermal design

Thermal modeling

Heat transfer fundamentals

Radiators & heat pipes

Vacuum testing

ANSYS Thermal Desktop

OpenTD

Python scripting

Spaceflight hardware qualification

Education

Bachelor's in Mechanical or Aerospace Eng

Master's or PhD preferred

Tools

ANSYS Thermal Desktop

OpenTD

Python

Job description

About Cowboy Space Corp

Cowboy Space Corp. is building the infrastructure to power and connect the orbital economy. Our satellites operate in Low Earth Orbit to collect sunlight and enable a new class of capabilities—from powering on-orbit compute, to transmitting energy via infrared lasers (space-to-earth and space-to-space), powering on-orbit compute to delivering secure, high-bandwidth optical data. By rethinking how energy and data are generated and distributed in space, we’re unlocking entirely new ways to operate both in orbit and on Earth.

About Cowboy Space Corp

Founded in 2024 by Baiju Bhatt (co‑founder of Robinhood), Cowboy Space Corp. is backed by leading investors and built by a team from top aerospace and defense organizations. We’re moving quickly to solve complex technical challenges and build a new category of space infrastructure.

The Role

As a Thermal Engineer you will design, analyze, implement and demonstrate thermal management solutions for our space-based power and compute platform. This role will focus on developing thermal control strategies for high-power laser systems, high-power compute platforms, spacecraft electronics, and structural components operating in extreme space environments. The ideal candidate will have experience with spacecraft thermal design, analysis, testing, and on-orbit demonstration, ensuring reliable performance in Low Earth Orbit.

Responsibilities

Thermal System Design: Develop spacecraft thermal management architectures, including active and passive cooling solutions for high-power and high-heat-flux components.
Thermal Analysis & Modeling: Utilize thermal simulation tools such as ANSYS Thermal Desktop to predict system behavior in space conditions.
Thermal System Optimization: After developing component- and system-level models, identify overall optimum solutions that consider overall size, weight and power.
Thermal Testing & Validation: Develop, support and execute thermal cycle and thermal-vacuum tests to demonstrate flight-worthiness of components, subsystems and spacecraft.
Integration with Mechanical & Electrical Systems: Collaborate with mechanical, electrical, and build and test engineers to ensure seamless integration of thermal management solutions.
Material Selection: Identify space-grade thermal materials, coatings, and insulation for spacecraft structures.
Reliability & Safety: Conduct failure mode analysis and implement redundancy in thermal control systems.
Collaboration: Work with optics, avionics, and propulsion teams to address thermal constraints in system design.

Basic Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.
3+ years of experience in thermal analysis and design of spacecraft thermal systems.
Proficiency with thermal modeling software such as ANSYS Thermal Desktop.
Strong understanding of thermodynamics and heat transfer fundamentals.
Experience designing, selecting and testing thermal hardware (e.g., radiators, heat pipes, thermal interface materials, and heaters).
Demonstrated experience of spaceflight hardware qualification and acceptance testing of flight components, and the margins associated with those.
Familiarity with vacuum chamber thermal testing.

Preferred Qualifications

Master’s or PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related discipline.
5+ years of experience designing thermal systems for spacecraft, launch vehicles and/or high-power and heat-flux applications.
Hands‑on experience with spacecraft thermal integration and flight testing.
Experience with OpenTD and python scripting.
Strong analytical skills and ability to solve complex thermal design challenges.

Compensation And Benefits

The salary range for this position is $150,000 - $200,000 annually.

Equity in Cowboy Space Corp.
Employees and their eligible dependents may enroll in medical, dental, and vision insurance
401(k) retirement savings plan
Paid time off
10 paid holidays per calendar year
Paid parental leave
Relocation assistance if applicable
Daily lunch in the office and a fully stocked kitchen with beverages and snacks

ITAR Requirements

Export Control Requirement: To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), applicants 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 ITAR here.

This job description is a summary of the primary duties and responsibilities of the job and position. It is not intended to be a comprehensive or all-inclusive listing of duties and responsibilities. Contents are subject to change at Cowboy Space Corp.’s discretion.

Cowboy Space Corp. is an equal employment opportunity employer. We consider individuals for employment or promotion according to their skills, abilities and experience. Cowboy Space Corp. is committed to complying with all applicable laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, religious creed, age, national origin, ancestry, physical, mental or developmental disability, sex (which includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and medical conditions relating to pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding), veteran status, military status, marital or registered domestic partnership status, medical condition (including cancer or genetic characteristics), genetic information, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, as well as any other category protected by federal, state or local laws.

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