Mechanical Engineer – Satellite Thermal Systems

About the role

Airbus U.S. Space & Defense is seeking a Mechanical Engineer specialized in thermal systems to design and analyze thermal solutions for new and heritage satellite platforms. The role supports the full product lifecycle from requirements through on‑orbit operations, working remotely with occasional travel to U.S. facilities and European partners.

Key responsibilities

• Perform thermal design and analysis for satellite systems, including radiators, heat pipes, electrical heaters and temperature sensors.
• Support thermal vacuum testing, correlate models with test data, and develop subsystem level requirements.
• Contribute to roadmap development, schedule and cost targets for future spacecraft missions.
• Drive multiple design activities across spacecraft, payload, bus and launch integration, ensuring design for cost, manufacturability and test.

Required profile

• Bachelor’s degree in a STEM field (Master’s preferred) with at least 2 years of experience in aerospace hardware or software development.
• U.S. citizenship and ability to obtain a Secret‑level DoD security clearance (active clearance highly desirable).
• Willingness to travel up to 20 % domestically and occasional international trips.

Required skills

• Strong knowledge of thermal engineering and heat‑transfer fundamentals.
• Proficiency with thermal analysis tools such as Thermal Desktop, IcePak, NX Thermal or Systema.
• Familiarity with space mission architectures as they relate to thermal design.