Job description
Senior Satellite Thermal Design Automation Engineer
$150,000 - $200,000 + Company Equity + Enhanced Career Progression + Health Benefits + 401k
Downtown Los Angeles, California (On Site)
Are you a satellite thermal engineer looking for an autonomous role, at an industry leading start-up where your work directly shapes real spacecraft and defines the future of thermal engineering?
On offer is the opportunity to become the thermal automation expert inside a well-funded, high-growth space startup that is reinventing how satellites are designed, analyzed, and produced. You'll enjoy deep technical ownership, the ability to architect core thermal workflows, and the chance to build the thermal engineering engine inside the company's flagship automated design platform.
Backed by strong investors and a top-tier founding team, this company is transforming spacecraft design through computational engineering and large-scale design automation. This is your chance to build next-generation thermal tools alongside some of the brightest minds in aerospace.
This is a highly dynamic, impactful role where you'll design, develop, and support automated thermal analysis, modeling, and optimization workflows that directly connect digital models to hardware, TVAC testing, and on-orbit performance. You'll compress thermal design cycles from months to days, enabling engineering velocity never before seen in the space industry.
This role would suit a thermal engineer with strong software skills who wants autonomy, minimal red tape, and the ability to define how satellites are thermally engineered for years to come.
The Role:
*Design, implement, and support automated thermal design, analysis, and optimization tools for satellite systems
*Develop integrated CAE/CAD/PLM workflows and build scalable frameworks that reduce thermal cycle time from weeks to hours
*Lead thermal architecture, modeling, and correlation across conduction, radiation, convection, and thermal hardware design
*Support thermal hardware integration, thermal balance/TVAC testing, and digital-thread workflows connecting models to real hardware
*Onsite in Downtown LA with equity, benefits, and significant long-term growth opportunities as the company scales
The Candidate:
*Satellite thermal engineering experience, including analysis, modeling, and thermal hardware design
*Strong software engineering skills with an appetite for automation and building new tools
*Proficient with thermal analysis tools (Thermal Desktop/SINDA, Icepak, NX SST) and CAD/PLM systems
*Self-starter, technically deep, collaborative, and motivated by autonomy, innovation, and high-impact work in the new space race
Reference Number: BBBH265948
To apply for this role or for to be considered for further roles, please click "Apply Now" or contact Tiernan Conlon at Rise Technical Recruitment.
Rise Technical Recruitment Ltd acts as an employment agency for permanent roles and an employment business for temporary roles.
The salary advertised is the bracket available for this position. The actual salary paid will be dependent on your level of experience, qualifications and skill set. We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitable candidates.
