Apex

Thermal Engineer (Senior)

Apex$100K — $130K *
Aerospace & Defense
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • U.S. Persons status for access to export-controlled data required.
  • Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related field.
  • 5+ years of experience in thermal engineering, specifically with spacecraft or aerospace systems.
  • Proficient in thermal analysis tools, particularly Ansys Thermal Desktop.
  • Strong grasp of spacecraft thermal control systems and related documentation standards.
  • Experience with thermal vacuum testing and data acquisition systems.

Responsibilities

  • Develop and maintain thermal models for spacecraft using Ansys Thermal Desktop.
  • Evaluate and validate thermal analysis results to meet mission standards.
  • Identify and implement cost-reduction strategies for legacy thermal subsystems.
  • Plan and execute major thermal subsystem milestone reviews.
  • Oversee integration of thermal flight hardware, ensuring quality control during tests.
  • Design and conduct thermal vacuum tests at component and system levels.
  • Correlate thermal model results with test data for improved accuracy.

Benefits

  • Equity shares in Apex for work contributions.
  • 100% company-paid medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and dependents.
  • Generous PTO starting at 15 days, increasing over time, plus 10 holidays.
  • Competitive 401(k) plan with matching contributions.
  • 8 weeks paid parental leave and childcare reimbursement for work travel.
  • Daily catered lunch and unlimited snacks available in the office.
  • Engaging community culture with monthly social events.
  • Exceptional office environment in Playa Vista, promoting collaboration and flexibility.
  • Opportunity to make a meaningful impact in aerospace innovation.
Full Job Description
About the Role

Requirements:
  • U.S. Persons status is required as this position requires access to export-controlled data.
  • Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.
  • 5+ years of experience in thermal engineering, preferably in spacecraft or aerospace systems.
  • Proficiency with thermal analysis tools, especially Ansys Thermal Desktop.
  • Strong understanding of spacecraft thermal control systems.
  • Familiarity with thermal margin definitions per MIL-STD, Aerospace TOR, or vendor command media.
  • Proficiency with Siemens NX and Teamcenter.
  • Experience with thermal vacuum testing, thermal test instrumentation, and data acquisition systems.
  • Working knowledge of 2-phase thermal control systems.
  • Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.
  • Ability to critically assess thermal model results and correlate with test or flight data.
  • Capable of managing multiple concurrent projects in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities:
  • Develop and maintain spacecraft-level thermal models using Ansys Thermal Desktop.
  • Evaluate and validate thermal analysis results to ensure accuracy and alignment with mission requirements.
  • Drive innovation by identifying ways to reduce cost and complexity of legacy thermal subsystems.
  • Plan and execute thermal subsystem milestone reviews (e.g., SRR, PDR, CDR, MRR).
  • Oversee thermal flight hardware integration and ensure quality control during build and test.
  • Design, plan, and execute thermal vacuum tests at both component and system levels.
  • Correlate test and flight data to thermal models to refine accuracy and performance predictions.
  • Collaborate cross-functionally with mechanical, systems, and avionics teams to meet thermal requirements across the spacecraft lifecycle.

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About Apex

Industry
Founded
2003

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