Sr Principal Thermal Engineer Verified today

Role Overview

You will own one of the most challenging subsystems on a space data center: the thermal architecture. You are responsible for design, analysis, testing, and flight execution of the thermal control systems for one of the highest-power spacecraft ever built. This is a hands-on leadership role combining deep individual technical contribution with leading the thermal engineering team. You will operate with a high degree of autonomy, pursue novel concepts, test them fast on the ground, and validate them in orbit.

Responsibilities

• Own the thermal architecture: active and passive thermal control across the spacecraft
• Design the thermal systems from the computing interface to the radiator
• Lead the hard trades: performance, mass, cost, reliability, manufacturability, schedule, and operational constraints
• Push novel concepts: prototype rapidly, test on the ground, and validate in orbit
• Model and correlate: build and correlate thermal models for spacecraft, payloads, and subsystems against real test and flight data
• Deliver flight hardware end to end: concept through manufacturing, integration, test, qualification, and launch, improving across successive spacecraft

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related discipline, or equivalent experience
• 10+ years of hands-on thermal engineering: design, analysis, hardware development, and test
• Strong command of thermal analysis tools such as Thermal Desktop, Ansys, or equivalent
• Experience with passive and active thermal control in a demanding environment: space, power, automotive, data center, food/manufacturing, or petroleum
• Comfortable leading and mentoring junior engineers while staying deeply hands-on
• Must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience formally leading a thermal engineering team
• Experience with a variety of spacecraft or aircraft thermal management approaches and components: cold plates, coolant loops, pumps, heat exchangers, thermal interfaces, insulation, heaters, large lightweight deployable radiators, heat pipes, oscillating heat pipes, and vapor chambers
• Experience with high-power thermal systems: pumped fluid loops, large radiators, industrial heat exchangers, data center cooling, power-plant systems, automotive thermal, refrigeration, or petroleum process systems
• Experience rapidly leading development from architecture through qualification and production or flight
• Familiarity or fluency with AI tools and their application for design optimization or analysis
• Master's or Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering or a related discipline with a focus on thermal sciences

Compensation and Benefits

Base pay range for CO applicants: $205,695.00 to $287,971.95. Other site ranges may differ.

Benefits include medical, dental, vision, basic and supplemental life insurance, paid parental leave, short and long-term disability, 401(k) with company match up to 5%, and Education Support Program. Stock options for all regular employees working at least 20 hours/week. Up to four weeks paid time off per year plus up to 14 company-paid holidays. Performance bonuses available depending on role type and job level.

Requirements

Background check required for all positions. Applicants must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident, or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum.