Senior Thermal Design Engineer

The Role

You will own the success of developing, implementing and testing both R&D and production thermal control systems on the spacecraft. You will be responsible for spearheading the design and verification efforts of active and passive thermal control systems including, but not limited to, pump fluid loops, heat pipes and all of the required ground supporting equipment (test fixtures, diagnostic equipment, instrumentation, software tools etc.). Your work will require familiarity with pressurized systems (valves, pumps, accumulators, heat exchangers), thermo-mechanical instrumentation (temperature sensors, pressure sensors, flow meters etc.), integrated electronics systems, and secondary satellite structures.

You will partner with design engineers early on in the process to ensure manufacturability while building the first prototype, design the build flow, and finalize the process for transition to production. 

Responsibilities

• Work with lead engineers to design active and passive thermal control systems using basic heat transfer and mechanical equations to size lines, pumps, accumulators, cold plates etc. 
• Planning and development of thermal cycle and thermal-vacuum testing campaigns
• Design and development of heater and cooling systems including control architecture 
• Setup, commission, and maintain state-of-the-art test stands and instrumentation
• Develop data acquisition systems for active and passive thermal control systems
• Perform tests on novel pump fluid loop including feed systems, power electronics, and hardware-in-the-loop
• Develop testing and control scripts to conduct safe and reliable test campaigns of pump fluid loop and individual components
• Create formal documentation for development and production: test procedures, test reports, and standard operating procedures
• Troubleshoot electrical and mechanical test setups and hardware
• Document, compile, analyze, and present test data

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience with thermal test experience in a high-rate manufacturing environment
• 2+ years of experience with sizing and testing fluid systems including pumps, valves, accumulators, heat exchanger, cold plates etc.
• Demonstrated experience with data acquisition for thermal and power related applications 
• Experience with test plan development and execution
• Strong experience with thermal and TVAC testing including setup, instrumentation, and troubleshooting
• Demonstrated knowledge of NX or AutoCAD is preferred to design test fixtures

Nice to Have

• Experience with basic and statistical data analysis 
• Experience with Thermal Desktop for thermal analysis
• Experience with signal conditioning to define optimal acquisition rate and understand when signal-to-noise ratio is not acceptable 
• Experience with pumps testing
• Experience with avionics testing
• Experience with testing refrigeration systems

Compensation and Benefits:

• Base salary range for this role is $140,000 - $250,000 + equity in the company
• Salary will be based on several factors including, but not limited to: knowledge and skills, education, and experience level
• Comprehensive benefits package including paid time off, medical/dental/vision/ coverage, life insurance, paid parental leave, and many other perks

If you don’t meet 100% of the preferred skills and experience, we encourage you to still apply! Building a spacecraft unlike any other requires a team unlike any other and non-traditional career twists and turns are encouraged! If you need a reasonable accommodation as part of your application for employment or interviews with us, please let us know.