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Thermal Engineer (Mid) Verified today

Apex Spacecraft · Los Angeles, CA · Mechanical · first seen 2026-07-16
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About Apex

Apex manufactures satellite buses at scale for the commercial space industry. These platforms hold customer payloads and are flown on launch vehicles, enabling earth observation, communications, and other missions. We combine software, vertical integration, and hardware optimized for manufacturing.

The Role

You will design, analyze, and optimize spacecraft thermal systems. Working cross-functionally with avionics and mechanical teams, you will develop thermal solutions that reduce cost and complexity while ensuring mission success through modeling, testing, and hardware integration.

Your Responsibilities

  • Develop and maintain spacecraft-level thermal models using Ansys Thermal Desktop and other analytical tools
  • Collaborate with subsystem engineers to design and optimize thermal control systems for avionics and electro-mechanical components
  • Evaluate thermal analysis results and ensure compliance with Mil-Standard, Aerospace TOR, and vendor requirements
  • Plan, execute, and manage thermal testing campaigns, including thermal vacuum (TVAC) and thermal cycling tests
  • Work with mechanical teams to develop passive and active thermal management hardware, including radiators, heaters, heat pipes, and coatings
  • Support thermal subsystem milestone reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR, MRR)
  • Perform thermal model correlation using flight and test data
  • Oversee thermal flight hardware integration and quality control
  • Utilize Siemens NX and Teamcenter for thermal design and integration

Required Experience

  • 3 or more years of experience in radiative and conductive thermal modeling of spacecraft systems using Thermal Desktop or similar software
  • Strong understanding of thermal margin definitions and aerospace thermal control standards
  • Experience selecting, sizing, and designing thermal control hardware, including heat pipes, heaters, OSR, SSM, MLI, TEC, thermal paints, and tapes
  • 1 or more year of experience with thermal cycling and thermal vacuum testing, including setup, instrumentation, and model correlation

Preferred Qualifications

  • Experience with full-vehicle thermal vacuum testing and thermal model correlation
  • Familiarity with 2-phase spacecraft thermal control systems
  • Knowledge of PCBA thermal modeling and thermal interface materials (thermal grease, gap pads, etc.)
  • Experience with integrated spacecraft and launch vehicle thermal analysis
  • Proficiency in Python, C/C++, or Matlab for thermal modeling and automation
  • Understanding of SMC-S016 standards or equivalent
  • Familiarity with Atlassian software tools and engineering workflows

Employment Details

Full-time, onsite in Los Angeles (Playa Vista). This role requires U.S. Person status to comply with ITAR export control regulations.

What We Offer

  • Equity in Apex
  • 100% company-paid medical, dental, and vision coverage for you and dependents, plus $100k life insurance
  • 15 days vacation annually, growing to 20+ days, plus 10 paid holidays
  • 401(k) with 100% match on first 3%, 50% match on next 2%
  • 8 weeks paid parental leave, plus childcare reimbursement up to $350/day for work-related travel
  • Daily catered lunch and unlimited snacks
  • Professional development and collaborative workspace