Propulsion Thermal Engineer

About the role

The Exploration Company seeks a Propulsion Thermal Engineer who owns the thermal integrity of the Nyx propulsion system throughout the full development cycle. You will own the quantitative assessment of heat transfer phenomena during thruster operation, ensuring that thermal behavior remains within validated margins. A core part of your ownership involves analyzing heat soak back effects and their influence on adjacent structures and components after shutdown. You will own the development of thermal models that predict temperature evolution across the propulsion subsystem under various operational scenarios. This role requires you to own design decision support to mitigate adverse thermal interactions and protect system reliability. You will also own the creation of technical documentation that clearly communicates thermal performance and rationale to cross-functional stakeholders. Collaboration with propulsion, mechanical, and system engineering teams will be owned by you to ensure thermal aspects are integrated seamlessly. Ultimately, you own the thermal validation that supports mission success and vehicle safety.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Perform detailed thermal analysis of spacecraft thrusters during steady-state and transient phases to define boundary conditions and heat flux profiles.
• Assess and justify transient heat soak back effects following thruster shutdown, including impact on surrounding structures and components, to prevent performance degradation.
• Develop thermal models to predict temperature evolution in propulsion subsystem, enabling proactive thermal management and design optimization.
• Support and propose design decisions to mitigate adverse thermal interactions, ensuring component longevity and system-level thermal stability.
• Build and correlate thermal mathematical models using tools such as Thermal Desktop, ensuring fidelity against physical behavior and operational extremes.
• Conduct transient and steady-state simulations to evaluate thermal margins and identify potential hotspots under nominal and off-nominal conditions.
• Perform sensitivity analyses and trade-offs to evaluate the impact of material properties, operating scenarios, and architectural choices on thermal response.
• Support thermal test campaigns at component and system level, aligning test objectives with model predictions and verification goals.
• Correlate analytical models with test data to refine assumptions, validate predictions, and improve future analysis accuracy.
• Produce technical reports to support design reviews (CDR, QR), providing traceable justification for thermal performance and compliance.
• Interface with propulsion, mechanical, and system engineering teams to ensure alignment of thermal requirements and integration constraints.
• Contribute to the development of thermal requirements that reflect mission needs, operational profiles, and safety considerations.
• Track thermal-related risks and opportunities throughout the development lifecycle, escalating when necessary to maintain program integrity.
• Ensure all thermal activities adhere to project schedules, quality standards, and documentation expectations for audits and reviews.

Requirements

• Master's degree or PhD in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field with specialization in thermal sciences.
• Experience with propulsion system thermal justification, including analysis of thruster thermal behavior and integration challenges.
• Strong understanding of heat transfer mechanisms including conduction, radiation, and convection where applicable in high-energy environments.
• Strong understanding of transient thermal behavior and its effects on propulsion components over multiple mission cycles.
• Strong understanding of high-temperature material behavior, including properties, limits, and degradation modes under thermal cycling.
• Experience with thermal analysis tools such as Thermal Desktop, SINDA, or FLUINT for modeling and simulation purposes.
• Programming or scripting skills in Python or MATLAB for automation of analysis workflows and data processing.
• Knowledge of spacecraft propulsion systems, including propellant types, combustion processes, and thermal byproducts.
• Familiarity with ECSS or NASA thermal standards to ensure compliance and best practices in space systems development.
• Experience in the spacecraft development lifecycle, from concept through qualification and launch campaigns.
• Cross-disciplinary collaboration skills to work effectively with propulsion, mechanical, and system engineering peers.
• Technical reporting and communication skills to convey complex thermal analysis results to both technical and managerial audiences.
• Commitment to working within a regulated aerospace environment where traceability, safety, and reliability are paramount.
• Willingness to engage in continuous learning to keep pace with evolving thermal analysis methods and space vehicle technologies.
• Ability to manage multiple analysis tasks in a dynamic project environment while maintaining accuracy and deadlines.
• Readiness to travel occasionally for project meetings, test campaigns, or collaboration with partner organizations as required.

Nice to have

• Familiarity with space-qualified propulsion components and their thermal characteristics.
• Experience in thermal vacuum testing or thermal cycling of hardware relevant to space applications.
• Knowledge of thermal control coatings, thermal straps, or heat pipes applied in space systems.
• Understanding of fluid-thermal-structural interaction in propulsion systems.
• Experience with failure modes related to thermal stresses and their mitigation in space hardware.

Practical notes

Relocation assistance is provided for those willing to relocate including visa sponsorship where applicable.

All offers are contingent upon the successful completion of a background check, which will be subject to the country, role, and project you applied for.

By submitting your application, you acknowledge and agree that any offer of employment may be conditional upon successful condition of this check.

The Exploration Company partners with Zinc Work Limited located in the UK (Zinc), a third-party provider, to ensure this process as efficient and transparent as possible.

If applicable, you will receive an email from Zinc upon acceptance of your offer with a link to a secure portal where you can provide the required information to Zinc.