Spacecraft Thermal Engineer - Design & Validate Systems

Thermal Engineer job at Connect Staffing and Consulting. Hawthorne, CA. Thermal Engineer Location: Hawthorne, CA (Los Angeles Area) | Onsite About the Opportunity A stealth-mode, venture-backed space technology startup in the Los Angeles area is building a pioneering solution to extend the reach of solar energy after sunset. With recent Series A funding from leading investors, this ~20-person engineering team is preparing for its first orbital launch in 2026. The mission: to develop a constellation of space-based reflectors that deliver sunlight back to Earth at night, powering a sustainable future. Why Join? Play a critical role in designing and validating thermal systems for a new class of satellites. Work hands-on with a multidisciplinary team of top-tier engineers. Own your designs from concept through in-orbit operation, with autonomy and real impact. Contribute to technology that could reshape the world’s energy landscape. Role Overview As a Thermal Engineer, you’ll lead the detailed thermal design of spacecraft at both the component and integrated systems level. You’ll be responsible for developing robust thermal management strategies, validating them through rigorous testing, and ensuring reliable performance in space. Key Responsibilities Develop and implement robust thermal designs for avionics and electro-mechanical subsystems. Build and operate a thermal modeling toolchain to deliver reliable results and guide key design trades down to the component level. Develop and utilize testing systems to validate in-space component and thermal control system performance (including TVAC and thermal cycle testing). Guide material selection and design for thermal performance across spacecraft systems. Collaborate closely with system designers to manage and optimize overall spacecraft thermal performance. Rapidly iterate on models and tests to ensure mission-critical reliability. Ideal Qualifications Demonstrated experience modeling heat transfer with numerical methods and delivering provably accurate results. Hands-on experience validating simulation results with thermal vacuum (TVAC) and thermal cycle testing for space hardware. Experience designing thermal management systems for spacecraft, with ownership from simulation through to hardware functionality. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills; able to balance speed, rigor, and creativity in a fast-paced environment. Proven ability to collaborate with multidisciplinary engineering teams. Bonus Points For Experience with material selection for space environments. Prior work in early-stage hardware teams or rapid prototyping environments. Education Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Thermal Engineering, or a related technical field is required. A Master’s degree or PhD in a relevant discipline is a strong plus. Equivalent hands-on experience designing, modeling, and validating thermal management systems for spacecraft, satellites, or other complex electromechanical systems may be considered in lieu of a formal degree for exceptional candidates. Compensation Level 1$90K – $110K • Offers Equity Level 2$100K – $125K • Offers Equity Level 3$130K – $160K • Offers Equity #J-18808-Ljbffr