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Xona Space Systems is seeking a Thermal Engineer to support the thermal design and environmental verification of spacecraft for Pulsar, an advanced positioning and navigation satellite constellation in Low Earth Orbit.
Role Overview
This is a hands-on thermal engineering role combining thermal analysis with direct ownership of thermal test development and execution. During the first year, the role is expected to be approximately 50% thermal analysis and 50% test work, shifting over time toward increasing ownership of component-, subsystem-, and spacecraft-level thermal analysis. You will own work from early thermal modeling and collaboration with mechanical designers through thermal-vacuum (TVAC), thermal-chamber, and targeted R&D test campaigns, working closely with mechanical, electrical, systems, integration, and test teams.
Key Responsibilities
Thermal Analysis & Design Support:
- Develop and maintain thermal models for components, assemblies, and spacecraft-level systems
- Perform steady-state and transient thermal analyses to assess operating temperatures, thermal margins, heater requirements, and environmental performance
- Collaborate with mechanical designers on thermal interfaces, materials, surface finishes, insulation approaches, mounting strategies, and component placement
- Perform thermal design trades and communicate analysis assumptions, risks, results, and recommendations to cross-functional teams
- Develop model inputs using hardware configuration, material properties, test data, and engineering judgment
- Correlate thermal models with test results to improve model fidelity and guide future design decisions
Thermal Test Development & Execution:
- Develop and lead TVAC, thermal-chamber, thermal-cycling, and targeted R&D thermal test campaigns
- Define test objectives, success criteria, instrumentation plans, sensor locations, data requirements, and test configurations
- Write test plans, procedures, setup instructions, test reports, and verification documentation
- Prepare and configure test hardware, including temperature sensors, heaters, harnessing, insulation, fixturing, and data-acquisition equipment
- Execute tests safely and efficiently; monitor data in real time, troubleshoot anomalies, and lead post-test data review
- Support test readiness reviews, post-test inspections, functional testing, anomaly resolution, and configuration tracking
- Improve in-house thermal test infrastructure, procedures, automation, and data-analysis tools
Cross-Functional Engineering:
- Work closely with mechanical, electrical, systems, integration, manufacturing, and test engineers throughout the hardware-development lifecycle
- Provide early, practical thermal feedback to design teams to reduce downstream risk and rework
- Support thermal verification planning and contribute analysis and test evidence to design reviews and flight qualification activities
- Work with vendors and external test laboratories when specialized facilities or capabilities are required
- Drive lessons learned from analysis and testing into thermal design practices, test methods, and future spacecraft builds
Success Metrics:
- Thermal models are credible, well documented, and useful for guiding spacecraft design decisions
- TVAC, thermal-chamber, and R&D test campaigns are safe, organized, well instrumented, and produce actionable results
- Test results close key thermal risks, improve model fidelity, and drive practical design improvements
- Cross-functional teams receive clear, timely thermal guidance throughout design, build, and qualification
- Growth into ownership of increasingly complex subsystem- and spacecraft-level thermal analysis
- Thermal analysis and test lessons learned are incorporated into scalable spacecraft design and verification practices
Required Qualifications:
- BS or MS in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related engineering discipline
- Early-career to mid-career experience in thermal engineering, thermal analysis, environmental testing, or a closely related hardware discipline
- Strong understanding of heat transfer, including conduction, convection, radiation, transient thermal behavior, thermal interfaces, and material properties
- Experience creating, reviewing, or using thermal models for hardware, components, or integrated systems
- Experience supporting hands-on hardware testing in a lab, environmental-test, aerospace, or similarly rigorous hardware environment
- Ability to develop clear engineering documentation, including test procedures, analysis summaries, reports, and presentations
- Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and comfort working directly with hardware
- Ability to independently drive technical work, solve ambiguous problems, and collaborate effectively across disciplines
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience with spacecraft thermal-analysis tools such as Thermal Desktop/SINDA, ESATAN, or equivalent
- Direct experience supporting or leading TVAC, thermal-vacuum, thermal cycling, or thermal-chamber tests
- Experience with thermocouples, RTDs, heaters, data-acquisition systems, vacuum-compatible hardware, and test instrumentation
- Experience correlating thermal models with environmental-test data
- Familiarity with spacecraft environmental-test standards and practices, such as GEVS, MIL-STD-1540, ECSS, or SMC-S-016
- Experience using Python, MATLAB, or similar tools for test-data reduction, analysis, or automation
- Experience working in a fast-paced aerospace, space, robotics, research, or high-reliability hardware environment
- Experience developing, troubleshooting, automating, or modifying thermal or TVAC chamber capabilities
Note: U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent resident status required to comply with U.S. Government space technology export regulations.
