Senior Thermal Analyst
Motive Companies
Contract
On-site
Alameda, California, United States
$130,000 - $165,000 USD yearly
Thermography (Thermal Imaging)
We are seeking a Senior Thermal Analyst to serve as the resident expert on spacecraft and propulsion system thermal modeling and analysis. In this role, you'll own the development of thermal and fluid system models, perform vehicle-level thermal analyses, evaluate flight data, and advance methodologies for testing and analysis.
This position requires a blend of hands-on test planning, high-fidelity simulation, and cross-functional collaboration. You'll be the point of contact for contracted analyses and will set the standard for best practices across the thermal discipline.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead thermal design, analysis, and testing of spacecraft subsystems and components
- Support early architectural trades and parametric analyses using first-order principles and preliminary modeling
- Automate and streamline analysis workflows to enable rapid trade studies and design iteration
- Design, analyze, and select thermal hardware (heat pipes, MLI, coatings, interface materials, radiators, etc.)
- Define and execute thermal cycling and TVAC test setups at subsystem and vehicle level
- Correlate thermal models to test data and provide guidance to operations teams for safe system use
- Develop and enforce standards, tools, and methodologies for thermal analysis and post-processing
- Partner with design engineers to co-develop efficient, reliable designs that meet broad requirements
- Prepare and present load cases, results, and analysis reports to inform design decisions and program reviews
- Manage subsystem schedules, costs, and deliverables
Compensation
- Base salary range: $130,000 - $165,000 per year (Bay Area market range; excludes bonuses and benefits)
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, or related technical discipline
- 3+ years of professional experience in spacecraft thermal analysis
- Proficiency with thermal analysis software (Siemens, Thermal Desktop, SINDA/FLUINT)
- 2+ years of thermal test planning and execution (thermal cycling, TVAC) including results correlation
- Experience developing and/or selecting thermal hardware (heat pipes, radiators, coatings, MLI, sensors, heaters)
- Strong data processing skills with tools like Excel, Python, MATLAB, or VBA
- Familiarity with material thermal/mechanical behavior and anchoring models to test data
- Demonstrated ability to own analysis projects end-to-end with minimal oversight
- Strong organizational, documentation, and communication skills
Preferred Skills / Multipliers
- Advanced degree (MS or PhD) in Mechanical, Aerospace, or related field
- 5+ years of experience in space thermal engineering
- Experience developing flight hardware successfully operated on orbit
- Background in interpreting and correlating telemetry data from space missions
- Experience with CAD (NX or equivalent) and PLM (Teamcenter or equivalent)
Other Requirements
- Must meet ITAR/EAR compliance as a U.S. Person (citizen, permanent resident, refugee, or asylee) or be eligible for licensing
- Subject to applicable background checks and, if needed, government contract clearance
- Applicants in San Francisco will be considered consistent with the Fair Chance Ordinance