Thermal Engineer, Satellites (Starlink)

SpaceX; Redmond (WA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 165,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Long-term incentives

Medical, vision, and dental coverage

401(k) retirement plan

Paid vacation and holidays

Shuttle service Seattle–Redmond

Job summary

SpaceX is seeking a Thermal Engineer in Redmond to design, test, and validate thermal systems for Starlink satellite hardware and custom chips. You will perform high-level to detailed thermal analysis, run lab tests, and develop simulations to improve performance under extreme conditions.

You will work with a cross-functional team to deliver reliable thermal solutions on aggressive schedules, and you may participate in automatic workflows to reduce development time.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering required.
• 1+ year of industry experience preferred (internships/co-ops allowed).

Responsibilities

• Thermal design of satellite components, from initial high-level analysis to validation with ground tests and orbital data.
• Thermal design of semiconductor packages, from high level concepts to detail thermal simulations and lab testing.
• Devise, build and run tests to validate performance of hardware in extreme conditions.
• Automate workflow to reduce engineering investment in the design cycle.
• Pursue performance/robustness improvements.
• Pursue operational simplicity and seek to reduce burden on other groups at SpaceX.
• Produce quality documentation of your work to reduce miss-rate and improve efficiency.

Skills

Communication skills

Schedule management

Problem solving

Analytical thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Tools

Flotherm

Icepak

Thermal Desktop

ANSYS Workbench

3D thermal modeling

Scripting languages

Job description

SpaceX was founded under the belief that a future where humanity is out exploring the stars is fundamentally more exciting than one where we are not. Today SpaceX is actively developing the technologies to make this possible, with the ultimate goal of enabling human life on Mars.

At SpaceX we’re leveraging our experience in building rockets and spacecraft to deploy Starlink, the world’s most advanced broadband internet system. Starlink is the world’s largest satellite constellation and is providing fast, reliable internet to millions of users worldwide. We design, build, test, and operate all parts of the system – thousands of satellites, consumer receivers that allow users to connect within minutes of unboxing, and the software that brings it all together. We’ve only begun to scratch the surface of Starlink’s potential global impact and are looking for best‑in‑class engineers to help maximize Starlink’s utility for communities and businesses around the globe.

As a thermal engineer, you are responsible for the thermal design, test, and validation of Starlink satellite hardware and custom developed chips. You will make engineering decisions to improve the vehicle and increase the performance of the Starlink network.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Thermal design of satellite components, from initial high-level analysis down to validation of performance with ground tests and orbital data


• Thermal design of semiconductor packages, from high level concepts to detail thermal simulations and lab testing


• Devise, build and run tests to validate the performance of the hardware in extreme conditions


• Automate workflow to reduce engineering investment in the design cycle


• Pursue performance/robustness improvements


• Pursue operational simplicity and seek to reduce burden on other groups at SpaceX


• Produce quality documentation of your work to reduce miss-rate and improve efficiency

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline


• 1y+ industry experience (internships/co-ops can apply)

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Experience with tools for chip thermal design like Flotherm or Icepak


• 1+ years of experience using scientific programming languages (including internships)


• Experience with Thermal Desktop and ANSYS Workbench


• Experience with 3D and reduced order thermal modeling


• Ability to identify sizing cases and quickly evaluate the impact of design decisions


• Working knowledge of scripting languages


• Excellent oral and written communication skills


• Ability to deliver against an aggressive schedule

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Must be available to work extended hours and weekends as needed for mission critical deadlines

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

Pay Range:
Level 1: $100,000.00 - $135,000.00
Level 2: $115,000.00 - $165,000.00

Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience.

Base salary is just one part of your total rewards package at SpaceX. You may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of company stock or long-term cash awards, as well as potential discretionary bonuses and the ability to purchase additional stock at a discount through an Employee Stock Purchase Plan. You will also receive access to comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, short and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, paid parental leave, and various other discounts and perks. You may also accrue 3 weeks of paid vacation and will be eligible for 10 or more paid holidays per year. Employees in Washington State accrue paid sick time in compliance with state and federal law. Company shuttles are offered to employees for roundtrip travel from select Seattle locations to the SpaceX Redmond office Monday to Friday.

• To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.

SpaceX is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with SpaceX 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.

Applicants wishing to view a copy of SpaceX’s Aff…? [e-mail] .

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey.Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiringprocess or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in aconfidential file.

As set forth in SpaceX’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

A \"disabled veteran\" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A \"recently separated veteran\" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An \"active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran\" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An \"Armed forces service medal veteran\" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.