Thermal Hardware and Test Engineer II
About this Role
As the Thermal Hardware and Test Engineer II, you will be responsible for hardware design, build, and test for ground and spacecraft thermal and fluid systems. This is a hands-on role, spanning mechanical, electrical, fluid, and control disciplines with opportunities to innovate at every stage: concept, fabrication, instrumentation, and commissioning. You will be responsible for developing active and passive thermal control systems, such as heat pipes, pumped fluid loops, thermal switches, etc. as well as the supporting infrastructure for testing and data-processing.
Day-to-day responsibilities will be focused in thermomechanical hardware and system sizing, CAD design, fabrication, testing, instrumentation, and troubleshooting. Successful candidates thrive on solving hard problems, adapting to dynamic requirements, and collaborating across multiple domains. You will gain significant ownership, see your contributions rapidly come to life, and help us uphold the highest standards of performance, reliability, and safety in our hardware. If expanding the capability of in-orbit manufacturing to serve life-changing products to patients sounds intriguing, this role is for you. This role is open at the Eng II level, with levels determined based on candidate experience.
Responsibilities
Drive end-to-end development of thermal hardware and test infrastructure: concept, design, fabrication, integration, validation, and maintenance
Develop active and passive thermal control systems with thermal analysis engineers for payload and vehicle thermal control
Inform manufacturing and integration of thermal/fluid hardware onto the vehicle
Conduct component level acceptance and qualification thermal vacuum tests
Evaluate the impact of hardware design decisions on packaging, thermal, environmental, and loads to ensure the best system-level solution
Architect and assemble fluid, thermal, mechanical, and electrical designs, test rigs, and fixtures that support a broad range of development activities
Implement instrumentation and data acquisition (DAQ) solutions, integrating sensors, transducers, actuators, PLCs, and embedded controllers
Generate documentation for procedures, schematics, reports for ground test and flight hardware
Apply first-principles thinking to diagnose issues, resolve anomalies, and optimize equipment reliability to >99% uptime
Basic Qualifications
B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, or a related discipline, with consideration given to equivalent professional experience (typically 1–3+ years)
3+ years of experience and knowledge applying engineering principles to thermal design, test, and fabrication in a manufacturing environment
Proficiency in detailed thermal analysis in Thermal Desktop, SINDA/FLUINT
Experience anchoring thermal models to test and/or flight data
Experience in planning and executing Thermal Vacuum Chamber (TVac) testing
Experience in MATLAB (or equivalent) for data processing and task automation
Familiarity with thermal margins and qualification test requirements in SMC-S-016
Excellent written and verbal communication skills with an aptitude for interdisciplinary technical communication
Preferred Skills and Experience
Hands-on fabrication skills: basic machining, welding, or rapid prototyping.
Experience in thermal analysis tools: Thermal Desktop, ANSYS
Proven track record of formal project management and delivering results in a fast-paced environment.
Pay Range
Salary Range: Eng II: $119,543- $152,749/per year
This role is on-site in El Segundo, CA
Leveling and base salary is determined by job-related skills, education level, experience level, and job performance
You will be eligible for incentives in the form of stock options and/or long-term cash awards