Thermal Hardware Engineer (Passive & Active Control Systems)

Thermal Hardware Engineer

Role and expectations:

The Thermal Hardware Engineer is the Responsible Engineer (RE) for the hardware design of vehicle thermal and fluid systems. This role encompasses the development of tubing, valves, pumps, MLI, thermal straps, thermal switches, phase change materials, etc., used in passive and active thermal control systems. Day-to-day responsibilities will be focused in CAD design, drawings, GD&T, manufacturing, testing, procurement, and analysis. This is a great opportunity to grow your engineering skills with exposure to all aspects of spacecraft analysis and design. A proactive problem-solving approach and commitment to meeting tight schedules are critical to supporting Varda's goals of expanding manufacturing capabilities and reentry systems.  

 Responsibilities

• Conceive new thermal control concepts, assess feasibility, mitigate risk through test and analysis, and drive towards final hardware design.
• Derive hardware requirements and perform initial design trades given open-ended problem statements and stakeholder input.
• Work collaboratively with other spacecraft disciplines (payload, structures, avionics, software, integration, test, and operations) to design and develop thermal/fluid systems to meet vehicle requirements.
• Evaluate the impact of hardware design decisions on packaging, thermal, environmental, and loads to ensure the best system-level solution.
• Develop Thermal/Fluid hardware CAD design and drawings
• Conduct component-level structural, thermal, and fluid analysis.
• Inform manufacturing and integration of thermal/fluid hardware onto the vehicle.
• Conduct component-level acceptance and qualification tests for the space environment.
• Develop tooling to support hardware integration and testing.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant engineering discipline with 1+ years of experience applying engineering principles to design and develop thermal/fluid or mechanical systems.
• Familiarity with 3D CAD skills (ideally NX) and experience translating models to production intent (detailed drawings, work instructions, etc.)
• Strong heat transfer and stress first principles.
• Ability to perform appropriate fluid, structural, and thermal analyses to demonstrate that a fluid system design meets requirements (e.g., hand calcs, Excel, Ansys, Femap, Nastran, COMSOL, etc.)
• Experience in 0D and 1D thermal and/or fluid networks.
• Familiarity working with fluid components, including valves, motors, pumps, etc..
• Experience in MATLAB (or equivalent) for data processing and task automation. 
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with an aptitude for interdisciplinary technical communication
• Eagerness to learn and work on hands-on hardware projects.
• Ability to successfully respond to evolving requirements in a fast-moving organization
• Excitement about making history at the forefront of both the space and pharmaceutical industries

Preferred Skills and Experience 

• Experience typical spacecraft thermal control technologies (e.g., heat pipes, pumped fluid systems, thermal blankets, optical coatings, etc.)
• Experience with aerospace hardware development practices, from concept to delivery (e.g., qualification testing practices, design for typical space environments, cleanliness, etc.).
• Comfortable with hands-on assembly, fabrication, and machining of metallic parts.
• A track record of taking ownership of projects and delivering results in a fast-paced environment.
• Master’s degree in an engineering discipline

 Salary Range: $115,000-145,000.00