Senior Thermal Engineer

At Vast, our mission is to contribute to a future where billions of people are living and thriving in space. We are building artificial gravity space stations, allowing long-term stays in space without the adverse effects of zero-gravity. Our initial crewed space habitat will be Haven-1, scheduled to be the world’s first commercial space station when it launches into low earth orbit in May 2026. Our team is all-in, committed to executing our mission safely and on time. If you want to work with the most talented people on Earth furthering space exploration for humanity, come join us.

Vast is looking for a Senior Thermal Engineer, reporting to the Senior Manager, Thermal, to support the development of the systems that will be required for the design and build of artificial-gravity human-rated space stations. 

In this position, you will work independently and within a team environment, collaborating on tasks performed across a spectrum of disciplines, which will require excellent writing and oral presentation skills. The position will require a complete understanding and wide application of technical principles, theories, and concepts in the field of thermal engineering and experience developing active and passive thermal control systems.

This will be a full-time, exempt position located in our Long Beach location.

Responsibilities: 

• Thermal systems requirements development
• Perform thermal analysis to develop and optimize thermal control designs and provide solutions to a wide range of difficult problems
• Coordinate with other engineering disciplines
• Document thermal analyses and designs
• Review and approve drawings for thermal design hardware content
• Report results of analyses and design specifics to internal management and external customers
• Work with test engineering to plan and execute subsystem level thermal tests, as well as perform associated analyses
• Provide feedback regarding impacts of possible cost and/ or schedule changes
• Work and execute independently with minimal technical oversight and general direction
• Mentor junior engineers and provide guidance on best practice

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Physics, or related Engineering discipline with a minimum of 5+ years of related professional work experience, or a Master's degree in a related engineering discipline and 3+ years of experience
• Knowledge and understanding of the application of technical principles, theories, and concepts for developing active and passive thermal control systems
• Experience with planning, executing and supporting Thermal Vacuum Chamber (TVAC) tests
• Experience using Thermal Desktop analysis tool
• Experience correlating thermal models to test and/or flight data

Preferred Skills & Experience:

• 7-10+ years of related professional work experience
• Design, analysis and integration experience of spacecraft thermal systems
• Experience using aerospace standard design tools (NX, CATIA, CREO)
• Experience using thermal analysis tools (SINDA/G, SINDA/FLUINT, TSS)
• Experience with space vehicle thermal design and/or integration
• Spacecraft and/or Payload background with experience through the entire system lifecycle from concept, design, production, integration, test, launch, to operation support
• Experience working on thermal design and troubleshooting efforts
• Ability to develop novel concepts for active and passive thermal control systems for space habitats
• Detail-oriented and have excellent verbal and written communications skills, leadership skills, and organization skills

Pay Range:

Senior Thermal Engineer: $135,000 - $170,000

Salary Range: California$135,000—$170,000 USDCOMPENSATION AND BENEFITS   Base salary will vary depending on job-related knowledge, education, skills, experience, business needs, and market demand. Salary is just one component of our comprehensive compensation package. Full-time employees also receive company equity, as well as access to a full suite of compelling benefits and perks, including: 100% medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and dependents, flexible paid time off for exempt staff and up to 10 days