Thermal Engineer III

Firefly Aerospace is an end‑to‑end responsive space company on a mission to enable our world to launch, land, and operate in space – anywhere, anytime. Our small‑to‑medium‑lift launch vehicles, lunar landers, and orbital vehicles allow us to service the entire lifecycle of government and commercial missions from low Earth orbit to the Moon and beyond.

Firefly Thermal Engineers apply world‑class simulation skills and expert knowledge of heat transfer to solve complex cross‑discipline problems encountered during launch vehicle and spacecraft design, development, and operations. They deconstruct complex issues to ensure our vehicles meet customer requirements, comply with external safety standards, reduce margin, and drive future evolution of the vehicle thermal systems.

• Determine effective analytical approaches for executing vehicle‑level trade studies
• Own vehicle level spacecraft thermal models
• Create sub‑models for key thermal events to capture effects of engine & plume radiation, lunar regolith modeling, and other phenomena
• Develop thermal control solutions involving multi‑layer insulation (MLI), radiator covers, and other TCS technologies while assessing impacts on mission cost, schedule, and risk
• Coordinate thermal environments and vehicle design with customers (NASA, ESA, commercial, etc.)
• Update and correlate models based on thermal test data
• Document analysis and test for review by responsible engineers, peers, and customers

• B.S. degree in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, physics, or related field
• Experience with Thermal Desktop and other industry analytical simulation tools (e.g., ANSYS, NASTRAN, COMSOL, SIMCENTER3D)
• Ability to work effectively in a multi‑discipline team and provide technical reports
• Strong first‑principles grasp of heat‑transfer mechanisms
• Familiarity with spacecraft thermal control methods, hardware, and technologies
• Working knowledge of Python, MATLAB, and MS Excel
• Experience with thermal testing equipment and procedures
• Strong design and integration skills using 3D CAD software
• Demonstrated ability to address multi‑tiered analytical problems and communicate results effectively

• Advanced degree in aerospace or mechanical engineering
• 5+ years of experience in thermal analysis of aircraft or space vehicles during all phases of conceptual design through flight
• Experience with ANSYS Space Claim, NX 3‑D Modeling, NX Space Systems Thermal
• Experience developing physical tests to correlate and validate analysis
• Experience creating MLI lay‑ups, heater‑circuit design, active thermal control mechanisms, and advanced spacecraft TCS technologies
• Demonstrated experience with Thermal Desktop or ANSYS
• Exposure to analysis or research planning at a program level, understanding where analysis fits into the greater development roadmap
• Familiarity with GSFC‑STD‑7001B, SMC‑S‑016, RCC‑319, spacecraft payload requirements
• Understanding of advanced thermal‑related phenomena such as combustion, diffuse thermal radiation, and spectroscopy

Firefly offers outstanding benefits for our employees, including generous health, dental, and vision plans with low plan deductibles, parental leave, educational reimbursement, short‑term disability, and flexible PTO options.

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Firefly Aerospace, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Firefly is governed based on merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability, or any other legally protected status.