Lead Thermal Engineer

About the Position

Sceye is seeking a Lead Thermal Engineer with proven, hands-on experience supporting the design, analysis, and validation of thermal systems for high-altitude aerospace platforms, including HAPS, unmanned aerial systems (UAS), drones, or closely related flight vehicles. This role is responsible for ensuring reliable thermal performance of avionics, structures, propulsion-adjacent systems, and payloads operating in extreme stratospheric environments.

Responsibilities

• Design, analyze, and optimize active and passive thermal control systems for high-altitude aerospace platforms
• Perform steady-state and transient thermal analyses using analytical and numerical methods
• Develop, validate, and maintain thermal models predicting system behavior across stratospheric and mission-specific operating conditions
• Support selection, qualification, and trade studies for materials, insulation, coatings, radiators, and thermal interfaces
• Define thermal requirements, margins, and operating limits for avionics, batteries, payloads, and structural components
• Support environmental testing, including thermal vacuum, altitude simulation, and temperature cycling tests
• Analyze test data, correlate results with thermal models, and drive design updates as needed
• Collaborate with mechanical, electrical, systems, and manufacturing teams to resolve real-world thermal challenges
• Document designs, analyses, test results, and compliance with applicable engineering standards
• Support design reviews, risk assessments, and continuous improvement initiatives

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a closely related field
• 5–10 years of demonstrated, hands-on experience in thermal analysis and thermal system design for aerospace or high-altitude flight systems
• Proven practical experience supporting thermal management for drones, HAPS, UAS, or closely related aerospace platforms
• Demonstrated ability to independently own thermal analyses and provide clear, experience-based recommendations to engineering leadership and cross-functional teams
• Strong, applied understanding of heat transfer principles (conduction, convection, radiation), particularly in low-density, high-altitude environments
• Experience developing, validating, and correlating thermal models using industry-standard tools (e.g., ANSYS, Thermal Desktop, COMSOL, or equivalent)
• Experience supporting hardware through design, test, integration, and operational readiness, not solely academic or theoretical work
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, R&D-driven aerospace environment
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and technical documentation skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering
• Direct experience with high-altitude platforms, stratospheric vehicles, or long-duration unmanned flight systems
• Hands-on experience with thermal vacuum testing, environmental qualification, or flight validation campaigns
• Knowledge of lightweight structures, composites, and advanced aerospace materials
• Experience supporting mission-critical or flight-certified hardware