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Salary: USD 115,000 - 150,000 / annual
Antares is building mass-producible, inherently safe, deployable microreactors for terrestrial, underwater, and space applications. The company's mission is to make clean energy abundant from Earth to the Asteroid Belt, with a team drawn from SpaceX, the White House, the Pentagon, the Department of Energy, MIT, and national laboratories. Antares has raised over $600M in venture capital and holds hundreds of millions in contracts with military services, NASA, and the Department of Energy.
As a Thermo-Mechanical Design Engineer II, you will develop, design, qualify, and deploy advanced heat exchanger systems for cutting-edge energy applications. You will work closely with Responsible Engineers and cross-functional teams to mature designs from concept through production.
Key responsibilities include:
- Perform mechanical design, modeling, and analysis of heat exchanger systems, ensuring thermal performance, structural integrity, and system compatibility
- Design and analyze heat exchanger inlet/outlet piping, manifolds, and mechanical interfaces
- Evaluate thermal stresses, differential thermal expansion, pressure loads, piping flexibility, and mechanical loads
- Support development of manufacturing methods, including material selection, fabrication processes, joining techniques, and assembly
- Design and support development of test articles, test stands, and validation procedures
- Coordinate with internal teams and external stakeholders to translate system requirements into manufacturable hardware
- Support design and integration of piping connections, flanges, weld joints, supports, and fluid-system components
- Define operating limits and performance envelopes for heat exchanger systems
- Investigate hardware failures, identify root causes, and implement design improvements
The role is based in Torrance, CA at a 322,000 square-foot facility featuring collaborative spaces, R&D, and production capabilities. The company values systems thinking, obsession over end-user needs, unconventional problem-solving, in-person collaboration, and nuanced decision-making. Be prepared to work long hours and weekends as necessary to support critical milestones.
REQUIREMENTS:
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, or related physics-based field
- 2+ years of experience in mechanical or thermal engineering, preferably involving heat exchangers, pressure-containing equipment, or high-temperature systems
- Demonstrated experience with mechanical CAD design and engineering analysis tools (SolidWorks, NX, ANSYS, COMSOL)
- Understanding of heat transfer fundamentals, fluid mechanics, thermal stresses, and structural mechanics
- Understanding of piping and pressure-containing component design, including pressure loads, thermal expansion, and mechanical interfaces
- Knowledge of materials science as it applies to material selection, thermal properties, and structural performance
- Must be a U.S. citizen, national, lawful permanent resident, Refugee, or Asylee, or eligible to obtain required ITAR authorizations from the U.S. Department of State
PREFERRED:
- Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, or Thermal Sciences
- Demonstrated experience in heat exchanger design, analysis, manufacturing, and testing
- Experience with high-temperature (500°C+) systems, including thermal expansion, creep, fatigue, and material compatibility
- Experience with thermal and structural FEA and CFD
- Experience designing high-temperature piping systems, manifolds, and mechanical components
- Experience evaluating piping flexibility, thermal stresses, and loads using analytical or simulation tools
- Familiarity with heat exchanger and piping fabrication methods (welding, brazing, joining processes)
- Experience designing pressure-containing components and familiarity with ASME codes and standards (ASME BPVC Section VIII, ASME B31.1, B31.3)
- Experience developing and executing hardware validation tests (pressure, thermal cycling, performance testing)
- Understanding of nuclear safety standards, quality requirements, and regulatory considerations
- Strong communication and cross-functional collaboration skills
