SpaceX · 20 hours ago
Thermal Engineer (Starshield)
Hawthorne, CA
Full-time
Onsite
Entry Level
$110K/yr - $130K/yr
1+ years expSpaceX was founded under the belief that a future where humanity is out exploring the stars is fundamentally more exciting than one where we are not. As a Thermal Engineer for Starshield, you will be responsible for the thermal design, test, and validation of vehicles and hardware to support national security efforts, leveraging SpaceX’s Starlink technology.
AerospaceManufacturingSpace Travel
No H1B
Security Clearance RequiredU.S. Citizen Only
Responsibilities
Thermal design of spacecraft, launch vehicles, and hardware, from initial high-level analysis down to validation of performance with ground tests, flight, and orbital data
Automate workflow to reduce engineering investment in the design cycle
Pursue performance/robustness improvements
Pursue operational simplicity and seek to reduce burden on other groups at SpaceX
Produce quality documentation of your work to reduce miss-rate and improve efficiency
Review peer work
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline
1+ years of experience using scientific programming languages such as MATLAB, Python (internship or project team experience can supplement for industry experience)
Must be available to work extended hours and weekends as needed to meet mission critical deadlines
Must be able to travel - up to 10-25% work week travel may be required
This position is based in Hawthorne, CA and requires being onsite - remote work not considered
To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State
Preferred
Master's degree in an engineering discipline
Experience with Thermal Desktop and ANSYS Workbench
Experience with 3D and reduced-order thermal modeling
Ability to identify sizing cases and quickly evaluate the impact of design decisions
Excellent oral and written communication skills
Ability to deliver against an aggressive schedule
Active Top Secret or Top Secret SCI clearance OR willingness to pursue one is preferred
Benefits
Long-term incentives, in the form of company stock, stock options, or long-term cash awards
Potential discretionary bonuses
Ability to purchase additional stock at a discount through an Employee Stock Purchase Plan
Comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage
Access to a 401(k) retirement plan
Short and long-term disability insurance
Life insurance
Paid parental leave
3 weeks of paid vacation
10 or more paid holidays per year
Paid sick leave pursuant to Company policy
Company
SpaceX
SpaceX is an aviation and aerospace company that designs, manufactures, and launches rockets and spacecraft.
1001-5000 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageTotal Funding
$11.78BKey Investors
Korea Investment PartnersIntesa SanpaoloAndreessen Horowitz
2025-12-12Secondary Market
2025-09-10Secondary Market
2025-08-13Secondary Market· $10M
Leadership Team
Elon Musk
Founder, CEO & CTO
Bret Johnsen
CFO
Recent News
Oman Observer
2026-01-25
legacy.thefly.com
2026-01-23
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