Staff Thermal Engineer

Responsibilities

• Define the overall spacecraft thermal control system (TCS) architecture and design standards across all product lines
• Lead high-fidelity, transient thermal analysis including 3D conjugate heat transfer (CHT) modeling
• Own the sizing, selection, and structural interface design of thermal protection systems (TPS) and internal insulation materials
• Analyze and optimize thermal conductances of structural joints and electronic compartment packaging
• Partner with aerothermal, structures, GNC, and propulsion teams on multi-disciplinary design trade studies
• Establish thermal testing standards and lead thermal vacuum (TVAC) and high-temperature material testing qualification campaigns
• Correlate thermal models against flight and ground test data to validate designs
• Mentor senior and mid-level engineers on first-principles thermal design and analysis tools

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or equivalent technical experience
• 8+ years of experience in thermal design and modeling of high-temperature aerospace vehicles
• Expertise in Thermal Desktop, ANSYS Thermal, or equivalent industry-standard software
• Strong knowledge of multi-physics heat transfer and thermodynamics
• Experience taking complex thermal systems from conceptual design through hardware testing
• Ability to make high-consequence technical decisions under uncertainty
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's or Ph.D. in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering
• Experience modeling aerothermal hypersonic environments or plasma interactions
• Hands-on experience with thermal vacuum (TVAC) or high-intensity radiant thermal testing
• Prior experience working in startups or small independent teams

About the Company

Inversion builds advanced reentry systems to deliver next-generation capabilities from space, turning Low-Earth Orbit into an on-demand logistics domain.