Thermal Engineer (Starlink)

SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP; Bastrop (TX); On-site; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP, located in Texas, is seeking a Thermal Engineer to design and validate thermal systems for Starlink hardware. The role requires at least 1 year of mechanical or electromechanical design experience and a Master's degree in engineering. Ideal candidates will have proficiency in MATLAB or Python and familiarity with thermal design tools like ANSYS and Thermal Desktop. Responsibilities involve cross-functional collaboration and extensive testing. SpaceX offers a competitive environment aiming for groundbreaking innovations.

Qualifications

• 1+ years of experience with mechanical design, electromechanical design, or analysis.
• Experience with chip thermal design tools and 3D thermal modeling.

Responsibilities

• Design thermal systems for phased arrays and consumer wireless products.
• Conduct lab tests to validate hardware performance.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams on design requirements.

Skills

Mechanical design

Electromechanical design

Scientific programming (MATLAB, Python)

Excellent communication skills

Education

Master's degree in relevant engineering discipline

Tools

Thermal Desktop

ANSYS Workbench

Flotherm

Icepak

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 are applying our expertise in building rockets and spacecraft to create the world’s largest and most advanced satellite broadband system. Starlink delivers fast, reliable internet to millions of users through a vertically integrated network of satellites, receiver antennas, lasers, gateways, and sophisticated software. We design, build, test, and operate every part of the system to serve users everywhere on Earth.

As a thermal engineer, you are responsible for the thermal design, test, and validation of all Starlink hardware. This includes but is not limited to phased array antennas, custom silicon design for chips, consumer WiFi, and other RF systems to be developed in the future. You will use your skills in thermal analysis to make engineering decisions that improve the performance of Starlink hardware everywhere from remote research labs in Antarctica to Mach 0.7 in‑flight.

Responsibilities

• Thermal system design of next-generation phased arrays, gateways, and consumer wireless products – own every component, part, and interface in the design
• Thermal design of semiconductor packages, from high level concepts to detail thermal simulations and lab testing
• Devise, build, and run tests to validate the expected performance of the hardware in extreme conditions
• Automate workflow and pursue operational simplicity to reduce engineering investment in the design cycle
• Utilize first-principles approach to evaluate sizing cases and impact of design decisions
• Perform analysis to make recommendations for performance/robustness improvements
• Produce quality documentation of your work for design requirements and specifications
• Continuous collaboration with mechanical, electrical, software, and RF design teams

Basic Qualifications

• 1+ years of experience with mechanical design, electromechanical design, and/or analysis (internship or project team experience is applicable)

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Master's degree in relevant engineering discipline
• 1+ years of experience using scientific programming languages such as MATLAB, Python
• Experience with Thermal Desktop and ANSYS Workbench
• Experience with tools for chip thermal design like Flotherm or Icepak
• Experience with 3D and reduced order thermal modeling
• 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
• 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.

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.