Thermal Engineer Verified today

About the Role

As Thermal Engineer, you will own the thermal design of Array's radar satellites and payloads, from architecture through flight verification. Spaceborne radar is fundamentally a thermal problem: high-power transmit amplifiers operating at high duty cycles in a small-satellite package, with tight temperature stability requirements driven by RF phase and frequency performance.

You will own the in-house Python thermal simulation framework, extending its physics, validating it against test data, and using it to drive design decisions. You will also build, instrument, and test flight hardware, working closely with RF, electrical, mechanical, and systems engineers to ensure hardware survives and performs on orbit.

Responsibilities

• Define spacecraft and payload thermal architecture, including radiator sizing, heat pipe and spreader design, and conduction paths from high-power RF components to space
• Own, extend, and validate Array's in-house Python thermal simulation framework, and use it to drive design decisions
• Support board- and component-level thermal design with electrical and RF engineers, including junction temperature and derating analysis
• Design, build, and test thermal hardware: radiators, interface materials, coatings, MLI, heaters, and sensor instrumentation
• Plan and execute thermal vacuum and thermal balance test campaigns, and correlate models against test and flight telemetry
• Develop thermal requirements, interface control documentation, and verification plans with systems engineering

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering, Physics, or STEM discipline
• 3+ years of industry experience fielding hardware in thermally-constrained products
• Strong Python proficiency and experience developing or extending engineering analysis tools
• Hands-on experience building, instrumenting, and testing thermal hardware
• Strong grounding in conduction, radiation, and transient heat transfer fundamentals
• Excellent teamwork and communication skills
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, iterative design environment

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's or Ph.D. in a related discipline
• Experience with satellite thermal design and flight-proven hardware
• Experience developing thermal or multiphysics simulation software: numerical methods, radiation view factors, transient solvers
• Familiarity with software engineering practices: version control, testing, code review
• Experience with thermal management of high-power RF electronics (GaN power amplifiers, phased arrays, high-dissipation boards)
• Familiarity with two-phase systems: heat pipes, loop heat pipes, or vapor chambers
• Experience with commercial thermal tools (Thermal Desktop, SINDA/FLUINT, ANSYS) as complement to in-house tooling

Compensation & Benefits

Array Labs offers competitive compensation with flexibility between salary and equity. Final candidates can choose from three compensation mixes: low, medium, or high equity. Equity is a significant component of total compensation.

Full-time employees receive comprehensive benefits including health, dental, and vision coverage, 401(k) plan with company match, commuter benefits, and more.

ITAR Requirements

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.