Thermal + Structural Modeling Engineer

Cosmic Frontier Labs; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 250,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Reproductive healthcare

HSA/FSA

Life and disability insurance

One Medical

401(k)

Education benefits

Cell phone and Wi‑Fi reimbursement

Work-from-home stipend

Commuter benefits

Wellness programs

Job summary

Cosmic Frontier Labs in San Francisco is seeking a thermal and structural modeling engineer to predict how our space telescope hardware behaves under launch loads and the extremes of orbit, turning analysis into confident design decisions.

You will build and validate coupled thermo-structural models, correlate them with test data, and drive design decisions in a fast-paced startup environment with high ownership.

Qualifications

• Strong education in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering with 3+ years of experience in structural, thermal, or coupled thermo-structural analysis for aerospace or precision hardware.
• Experience building and running FEA models for launch loads and thermal environments using tools such as ANSYS, Nastran, or Abaqus.
• Deep understanding of thermoelastic stability, deformation, structural margins, and environmental loads including vibration and thermal vacuum.

Responsibilities

• Build coupled thermal and structural models (thermoelastic stability matters as much as strength) and use them to drive design decisions.
• Analyze deformation, stability, and margin under launch and on-orbit environments.
• Correlate models to test data and verify what is known versus assumed.

Skills

Thermal-structural analysis

FEA modeling

Aerospace hardware

Education

Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering degree

Tools

ANSYS

Nastran

Abaqus

Job description

Cosmic Frontier’s mission is to dramatically expand access to high performance space telescopes, democratize the scientific process, and build tools for exploring the Universe.

Cosmic Frontier team members own the full lifecycle of spaceflight hardware and software, from early architecture through flight. We build and fly real hardware. The systems you build will go to orbit within the next two years.

Role Description:

We’re looking for a thermal and structural modeling engineer to predict how our telescopes behave under launch loads and the extremes of orbit, and to turn those predictions into confident design decisions.

If you like turning analysis into decisions and decisions into hardware, we want to talk.

What you’ll do:

• Build coupled thermal and structural models (thermoelastic stability matters as much as strength) and use them to drive design
• Analyze deformation, stability, and margin under both launch and on orbit environments
• Correlate models to test data and keep the program honest about what is known versus assumed

What Success looks like in the first 90 days:

• Deliver a v1 coupled model that answers the questions we are currently hand waving
• Define the test correlation plan and what data we need to collect during TVAC and vibe
• Identify the top stability drivers and propose concrete mitigations with quantified impact

Required qualifications:

• Strong education background in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering, with 3 plus years of experience in structural, thermal, or coupled thermo structural analysis for aerospace or precision hardware
• Strong experience building and running FEA models for launch loads and thermal environments using tools such as ANSYS, Nastran, or Abaqus
• Deep understanding of thermoelastic stability, deformation, structural margins, and environmental loads including vibration and thermal vacuum
• Proven ability to correlate models to test data and turn analysis results into concrete design decisions

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience with opto mechanical systems, telescopes, or other high precision space hardware
• Background in coupled thermal structural modeling where stability is a primary driver
• Experience supporting environmental test campaigns such as TVAC and vibration
• Comfort operating in a fast paced startup environment with high ownership and ambiguity
• Medical, dental, vision, reproductive healthcare, HSA/FSA, life and disability insurance, One Medical.
• 401(k), education benefits, cell phone and Wi-Fi reimbursement, one‑time work‑from‑home stipend, commuter benefits, wellness programs.

Export control:

Due to the nature of the products and information handled in this role, employment is restricted to U.S. Persons as defined by U.S. export control laws.

Salary Band:

• L4: $120,000 – $160,000
• L5: $170,000 – $250,000

Diversity and Inclusion:

We encourage anyone who is excited about this role to apply, even if you don’t meet 100% of the qualifications. We value builders with strong judgment, high ownership, and a track record of making complex systems work in the real world.

Recruiting, hiring, mentoring, and retaining a diverse workforce is critical to our success. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

Cosmic Frontier Labs is a Program and Operating Division of the Renaissance Philanthropy Fund. Renaissance Philanthropy is an equal‑opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

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