Spacecraft Thermal Engineer III

Firefly Aerospace

Senior Thermal Engineer at Firefly Aerospace providing technical leadership in spacecraft thermal analysis. Influencing vehicle design decisions and mentoring engineers in complex thermal challenges.

Posted 7/1/2026full-timeCedar Park • Texas • 🇺🇸 United StatesSeniorLeadWebsite

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

Python

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Lead thermal analyses that drive major vehicle design decisions across multiple spacecraft programs.
Own the architecture, validation, and long-term maintenance of integrated spacecraft thermal models.
Develop innovative analytical methods, workflows, and automation that improve team capability and efficiency.
Lead thermal trade studies involving mission environments, propulsion effects, lunar surface interactions, cryogenics, and advanced thermal control technologies.
Define thermal analysis strategies supporting conceptual design through flight.
Organize and lead testing, including vehicle-level thermal vacuum testing.
Serve as the point of contact for the thermal control subsystem during launch operations.
Lead model validation efforts using thermal vacuum, qualification, acceptance, and flight data.
Mentor and technically review work performed by thermal engineers across multiple experience levels.
Represent Thermal Engineering during customer reviews and major program design reviews.
Provide technical leadership during anomaly investigations and rapid-response engineering efforts.
Influence organizational best practices, analytical standards, and long-term capability development.
Support hiring, technical interviews, and development of the thermal engineering team.

Requirements

What you’ll need

B.S. in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, or related field
Approximately 815+ years of spacecraft thermal analysis experience
Expert knowledge of spacecraft heat transfer and thermal control systems
Extensive experience with Thermal Desktop and industry-standard thermal analysis software
Demonstrated success leading thermal analyses through design, testing, and flight
Experience with instrumentation and testing thermal hardware
Experience correlating analytical models using environmental and flight data
Strong programming skills using Python, MATLAB, or similar languages
Excellent technical leadership and communication skills
Proven ability to independently scope, execute, defend, and communicate complex analyses.

Benefits

Comp & perks

Professional development opportunities

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

Thermal AnalysisHeat TransferThermal Model ValidationAnalytical Methods DevelopmentInstrumentation TestingData CorrelationAutomation WorkflowsThermal Vacuum TestingCryogenicsAdvanced Thermal Control Technologies

Soft Skills

Communication SkillsMentoringLeadership