Mechanical and Thermal Systems Engineer

Systems Engineer – Mechanical & Thermal

Our Client: A confidential, early-stage U.S. space company developing modular autonomous space stations

Departments: Mechanical & Structural Design, Thermal Engineering

Location: Washington, DC Metro Area | Full-Time, On-Site

Sponsorship: U.S. Citizen or Legal Permanent Resident required (ITAR-controlled environment)

The Company

Our client is an early-stage U.S. space company developing modular autonomous space stations. Headquartered in the Washington, DC metro area, they are building a lean, highly skilled engineering team. This is an opportunity to join a company reimagining how spacecraft and space systems are designed, deployed, and operated — at the frontier of the industry.

About the Team

Our client's engineering team is highly skilled and mission-driven. This hire will be one of the first engineers on the team, working directly with the CTO and Chief Engineer. At this stage, the role will not come with a narrow task list — the successful candidate will be in charge of the mechanical and thermal design of the spacecraft, spanning structural integrity, mass management, thermal control, and the qualification test campaign that will take missions to launch.

About the Role

This is a dual-domain engineering role. The candidate will serve as the technical lead for both the Mechanical / Structural design of the core bus and payload pods, and the Thermal Engineering function — from preliminary analyses through TVAC test campaign execution. They will also own the master CAD model of the platform and be the gatekeeper of all mechanical interfaces, with the expectation that they progressively build specialist depth as the program matures.

Mechanical & Structural Design

• Own and maintain the master CAD model of the spacecraft; enforce CAD discipline, assembly hierarchy, and configuration control across all mechanical interfaces
• Define the overall structural concept of the core bus: primary structure, panel design, interface ring, launch vehicle adapter (LVA), and deployment mechanism architecture
• Lead mechanical design of the payload pods: envelope definition, attachment and release mechanisms, and mass and center-of-mass budget contributions
• Develop and maintain the system-level mass budget; perform mass trades and enforce mass allocations across subsystems; track margin against launch vehicle payload capacity
• Perform structural Finite Element Analysis (FEA) for launch loads, quasi-static and dynamic environments, sine sweep, random vibration, and shock; iterate design to meet margins
• Lead design and analysis of all mechanical interfaces: docking interface, robotic arm attachment points, solar panel deployment hinges, and payload integration structures
• Define and manage mechanical ICDs with all subsystems (EPS, RF, GNC, payload customers); support the Chief Engineer as interface control authority for mechanical envelopes
• Select and specify materials, surface finishes, and coatings; ensure compatibility with the space environment (atomic oxygen, UV, thermal cycling, outgassing requirements)

Thermal Engineering

• Design and own the Thermal Control System (TCS) for the core bus and payload pods: passive (MLI, surface coatings, radiators) and active (heaters, thermostats) thermal control elements
• Develop and maintain the thermal model of the spacecraft; perform thermal analyses across all mission phases: LEO sun/eclipse cycling, LEOP, contingency (safe mode), and payload operation scenarios
• Define thermal interfaces with all subsystems: battery and solar array thermal limits (EPS), electronic unit dissipation (OBC/RF), payload customer thermal environments (payload pods)
• Perform worst-case hot and cold analyses; establish temperature predictions and margins for all components; iterate TCS design to meet requirements
• Define and execute the Thermal Vacuum (TVAC) test campaign: test philosophy, thermal cycling profiles, acceptance and qualification test levels, facility selection, and test procedure development
• Use simulation tools to validate thermal and structural performance: ANSYS Thermal Desktop for orbital thermal modelling and TCS sizing; ANSYS Mechanical for structural integrity, launch load analysis, docking load cases, and deployment dynamics

AIT Support & Test Campaign

• Define the mechanical and thermal AIV (Assembly, Integration & Verification) flow: integration sequence, handling procedures, GSE (Ground Support Equipment) requirements, and cleanliness control
• Coordinate with the AIT Manager on test facility selection and scheduling: vibration (sine/random/shock), TVAC, and EMC test campaigns; provide mechanical and thermal expertise throughout test execution
• Support analysis and disposition of non-conformances (NCRs) arising from mechanical or thermal test anomalies; update models and analyses as required post-test
• Define and track mass properties through integration: actual vs. predicted mass, CoM, and moment of inertia; report to the Chief Engineer at each program review

About You

Required

• M.S. or B.S. in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field
• 7+ years of experience in spacecraft mechanical or thermal engineering, with hands-on involvement in at least one satellite program from PDR through launch
• Demonstrated experience performing spacecraft structural FEA (launch loads, modal analysis, random vibration, shock) using ANSYS Mechanical, Nastran, or equivalent
• Demonstrated experience developing and running spacecraft thermal models using ANSYS Thermal Desktop, ESATAN-TMS, or equivalent; familiarity with orbital heat flux environments
• Proficiency in 3D CAD for spacecraft structural design and assembly modelling; experience managing complex multi-body assemblies and enforcing configuration control
• Experience developing and maintaining system-level mass budgets and tracking mass margin against launch vehicle constraints
• Familiarity with spacecraft materials selection, surface coatings, MLI design, and environmental compatibility (ECSS or equivalent standards)
• U.S. Citizen or Legal Permanent Resident

Preferred

• Experience with ANSYS Thermal Desktop for end-to-end orbital thermal modelling: orbit definition, solar/IR/albedo flux environment, conductor/capacitor network generation, and automated correlation to TVAC test data
• Experience with ANSYS Mechanical for spacecraft structural analysis: static and dynamic FEA, sine and random vibration analysis, shock response spectrum (SRS), and coupled loads analysis (CLA) with launch vehicle models; familiarity with non-linear analysis for docking, contact, and deployment load cases
• Proficiency in SolidWorks or CATIA for parametric 3D modelling of spacecraft primary structures, payload accommodation hardware, and deployment mechanisms; experience with model-based definition (MBD) and drawing release workflows
• Familiarity with AutoCAD for 2D interface control drawings, GSE layouts, and cleanroom facility planning
• Experience designing and executing TVAC test campaigns: facility interface (cryopump, thermal shroud, feed-through), test procedure writing, real-time monitoring, and correlation analysis post-test
• Knowledge of modular or deployable spacecraft structures, including hinged deployables, separation system design, and hold-down & release mechanisms
• Familiarity with ECSS mechanical and thermal standards (ECSS-E-ST-32, ECSS-E-ST-31) or equivalent NASA/MIL standards; experience in an ITAR-controlled engineering environment

The Person We're Looking For

Someone equally at home sketching a structural concept in CAD and interrogating a thermal model to understand why a battery is running hot. Someone who thinks in margins, trades mass against stiffness without being asked, and understands that a beautiful structure that fails TVAC is not a beautiful structure. This person wants to own the physical satellite — the part that actually has to survive launch and operate in space — and is excited to do that from first principles on a novel modular platform. A self-starter who thrives in fast-paced environments.

Compensation & Benefits

• Base salary: Competitive with early-stage aerospace startups, commensurate with experience
• Equity: Meaningful founding-team equity grant with standard 4-year vesting / 1-year cliff
• Benefits: Health, dental, and vision insurance; flexible PTO; 401(k) match and vesting

Our client is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.