Back to jobs

Thermal Engineer

El Segundo, California

A New Paradigm For Space Operations. 

Who We Are:
Space Kinetic is a cleared, venture-backed startup focused on addressing urgent national security priorities. Our goal is to deliver a suite of asymmetric capabilities for space superiority and missile defense leveraging our proprietary electromechanical deployment system, which enables the rapid deployment of low-cost payloads through space without firing a thruster. Space Kinetic is currently assembling its TRL-5 prototype. Our goal is to leverage this platform to provide the United States with a new tool for securing the space domain & catalyzing the emerging space economy.
 
What You’ll Do:
Space Kinetic is looking for a Thermal Engineer to assist with thermal analysis, hardware design and test within the simulation group of the mechanical engineering department.  The candidate should excel at meeting deadlines, managing multiple projects simultaneously, and collaborating effectively with diverse engineering teams and clients to develop high-quality data products.
Occasionally, the candidate may support tasks in a hardware development environment. Strong written and verbal communication skills are essential.
Responsibilities Will Include:
  • Thermal hardware design, analysis and test (MLI blankets, heaters, venting, heat pipes, sensors, etc…)
  • Work with mechanical teams to develop passive and active thermal control hardware for the spacecraft including radiators, heaters, heat pipes, surface coating etc..
  • Technical document creation and management
  • Database creation and maintenance
  • Interfacing with Manufacturing and Production to monitor component fabrication progress
  • Interfacing with integration and test group to monitor component integration
  • Compilation of comprehensive parts lists using information from Bills of Materials (BOMs), engineering drawings, online databases, and data from subcontractors and suppliers
  • Spreadsheet organization and extraction
What It Takes:
  • Bachelor's Degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field with a minimum of 1-2 years of related experience. Advanced Degrees (Master’s or Ph.D.) in similar disciplines are highly valued with correspondingly lower experience requirements.
  • Thermal design of satellite components, from initial high-level analysis down to validation of performance with ground tests and orbital data
  • Devise, build and run tests to validate the performance of the hardware in extreme conditions
  • Produce quality documentation of your work to reduce miss-rate and improve efficiency
  • Operate and use lab tools and equipment.
  • Proficiency with thermal simulation tools and Microsoft Suite of software, including SharePoint
  • Experience using space thermal analysis software similar to ANSYS Thermal Desktop Sinda/Fluint/RadCad, Siemens Space Systems Thermal or similar
  • Experience designing MLI blankets or similar spacecraft hardware
  • Experience in spacecraft integration and testing
  • Experience in CAD software (Solidworks, CREO, AutoCAD)
  • Proficiency in understanding and extracting information from specifications (NAS, SAE, MS, etc.)
  • MATLAB/Python basic knowledge
  • Ability to deliver against an aggressive schedule
  • In order to be successful in this role, you should be someone who is uniquely creative, self-driven, and is able to lead his or her projects to completion
  • General knowledge of mechanical assemblies and parts
  • To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder).
What We’d Love:
  • Prior experience with spacecraft design
  • Experience working on a launch vehicle or satellite development effort
  • Experience in a startup or agile development environment
  • Passion for the commercial and government space industry.
Where You’ll Be:
  • The position will be on site at our headquarters in Torrance, CA.
What We Offer: 
  • Competitive Base Salary + Equity-Based Compensation
  • Highly Competitive PTO and Holiday Calendar
  • Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision Coverage
  • Unique Performance-Based Bonus Structure
  • Health and Wellness Stipend
  • Commuter Benefits
ITAR Requirements: 
This position is subject to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.  Learn more about ITAR here
 
Equal Employment Opportunity:
Space Kinetic provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status.

The annual base salary for this role is below. Pay Grades are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data.  Individual pay will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: interviews and an assessment of several factors that are unique to each candidate, job-related skills, relevant education/experience, certifications, abilities of the candidate and internal equity.  

Pay Range

$75,000 - $125,000 USD

Create a Job Alert

Interested in building your career at Space Kinetic? Get future opportunities sent straight to your email.

Apply for this job

*

indicates a required field

Resume/CV*

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in Space Kinetic’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Select...
Select...
Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305
Page 1 of 1
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 04/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury
Select...

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.