Thermal Engineer - Analysis & Test

Xona Space Systems, Inc.; Burlingame (CA); Presencial; USD 120.000 - 160.000; Jornada completa

Descripción de la vacante

Xona Space Systems, Inc. in Burlingame, CA is seeking a hands-on Thermal Engineer to advance thermal design, modeling, and verification for our spacecraft hardware.

You will own steady-state and transient analyses, develop CAD-based models, and collaborate with mechanical, electrical, and systems teams to ensure robust thermal performance. The role combines analytical work with hands-on testing, including TVAC campaigns, sensor placement, data correlation, and test documentation.

Formación

• BS or MS in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering.
• Experience in thermal engineering, thermal analysis, or environmental testing.
• Ability to develop clear engineering documentation (procedures, summaries, reports).

Responsabilidades

• Develop and maintain thermal models for components and spacecraft-level systems.
• Perform steady-state and transient thermal analyses to assess temperatures and margins.
• Collaborate with mechanical designers on interfaces, materials, and mounting strategies.
• Develop and lead TVAC, thermal-chamber, and thermal cycling test campaigns.
• Write test plans, procedures, and verification reports; review data and correlate with models.
• Work with cross-functional teams to drive design improvements and risk reduction.

Conocimientos

Analytical problem solving

Hands-on hardware work

Cross-functional collaboration

Technical documentation

Educación

BS in Mechanical Engineering

MS in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering

Herramientas

Thermal Desktop/SINDA

ESATAN

Thermocouples / RTDs data acquisition

Descripción del empleo

Xona is the navigational intelligence company bringing real-time, centimeter-level certainty to any device, anywhere on Earth.

With Pulsar - the world's most advanced PNT satellite infrastructure in Low Earth Orbit - Xona will offer a future-proof, backwards-compatible global positioning system optimized for absolute precision, superior power, and robust protection.

Role Overview

We are seeking a hands‑on Thermal Engineer to support the thermal design and environmental verification of our spacecraft. This role combines thermal analysis with direct ownership of thermal test development and execution.

During the first year, the role is expected to be approximately 50% thermal analysis and 50% test work. Over time, it will shift toward increasing ownership of component-, subsystem-, and spacecraft-level thermal analysis.

You will own work from early thermal modeling and collaboration with mechanical designers through thermal‑vacuum (TVAC), thermal‑chamber, and targeted R&D test campaigns. You will work closely with mechanical, electrical, systems, integration, and test teams to turn hardware designs into credible thermal models, generate test evidence, correlate models to data, and drive design improvements.

This is an excellent role for an engineer who enjoys both analytical problem-solving and hands‑on work with spacecraft hardware.

What You’ll Do

Thermal Analysis & Design Support

• Develop and maintain thermal models for components, assemblies, and spacecraft‑level systems.
• Perform steady‑state and transient thermal analyses to assess operating temperatures, thermal margins, heater requirements, and environmental performance.
• Collaborate with mechanical designers to influence thermal interfaces, materials, surface finishes, insulation approaches, mounting strategies, and component placement.
• Perform thermal design trades and clearly communicate analysis assumptions, risks, results, and recommendations to cross‑functional teams.
• Develop model inputs using hardware configuration, material properties, test data, and engineering judgment.
• Correlate thermal models with test results and use findings to improve model fidelity and guide future design decisions.

Thermal Test Development & Execution

• Develop and lead TVAC, thermal‑chamber, thermal‑cycling, and targeted R&D thermal test campaigns.
• Define test objectives, success criteria, instrumentation plans, sensor locations, data requirements, and test configurations.
• Write test plans, procedures, setup instructions, test reports, and verification documentation.
• Prepare and configure test hardware, including temperature sensors, heaters, harnessing, insulation, fixturing, and data‑acquisition equipment.
• Execute tests safely and efficiently; monitor data in real time, troubleshoot anomalies, and lead post‑test data review.
• Support test readiness reviews, post‑test inspections, functional testing, anomaly resolution, and configuration tracking.
• Improve in‑house thermal test infrastructure, procedures, automation, and data‑analysis tools as needed.

Cross‑Functional Engineering

Work closely with mechanical, electrical, systems, integration, manufacturing, and test engineers throughout the hardware‑development lifecycle.

Provide early, practical thermal feedback to design teams to reduce downstream risk and rework.

Support thermal verification planning and contribute analysis and test evidence to design reviews and flight qualification activities.

Work with vendors and external test laboratories when specialized facilities or capabilities are required.

Drive lessons learned from analysis and testing into thermal design practices, test methods, and future spacecraft builds.

Required Qualifications

• BS or MS in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
• Early‑career to mid‑career experience in thermal engineering, thermal analysis, environmental testing, or a closely related hardware discipline.
• Strong understanding of heat transfer, including conduction, convection, radiation, transient thermal behavior, thermal interfaces, and material properties.
• Experience creating, reviewing, or using thermal models for hardware, components, or integrated systems.
• Experience supporting hands‑on hardware testing in a lab, environmental‑test, aerospace, or similarly rigorous hardware environment.
• Ability to develop clear engineering documentation, including test procedures, analysis summaries, reports, and presentations.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and comfort working directly with hardware.
• Ability to independently drive technical work, solve ambiguous problems, and collaborate effectively across disciplines.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with spacecraft thermal‑analysis tools such as Thermal Desktop/SINDA, ESATAN, or equivalent.
• Direct experience supporting or leading TVAC, thermal‑vacuum, thermal cycling, or thermal‑chamber tests.
• Experience with thermocouples, RTDs, heaters, data‑acqui