Senior Thermal Engineer

About the role

Icarus is seeking a skilled thermal engineer to join our team. The ideal candidate will have 3+ years of experience in thermal analysis or thermal design of flight, space, or high-reliability hardware, with a relevant engineering degree. They should have hands-on experience with thermal-vacuum or altitude chambers, instrumentation, and model correlation. Strong proficiency in thermal network modeling, battery thermal management, and Python or MATLAB is required.

Responsibilities

• Own thermal design of the aircraft, from first-order sizing through validation against altitude chamber and flight data.
• Model at the fidelity required, using hand calculations and 1-D networks early, and CFD and FEA when necessary.
• Own battery thermal management: insulation, heater sizing, and cold-soak survival.
• Deliver thermal solutions for avionics, powertrain, and payloads against aggressive mass targets, selecting appropriate materials, coatings, and interfaces.
• Quantify how temperature affects the power budget, analyzing solar cell, battery, and motor efficiency.
• Define and run thermal testing, including setups, instrumentation, procedures, and model correlation of measured data.
• Work across structures, avionics, power, and manufacturing, presenting thermal status at design and failure reviews.

Requirements

Experience in low-convection environments where radiation dominates, such as spacecraft, high-altitude, or UAV operations. Strong 0-D and 1-D thermal network modeling skills, along with experience in Thermal Desktop, ANSYS, Simcenter, or similar tools, are essential. Battery thermal management experience, including pack-level modeling, heater strategies, and cold-soak survival, is also crucial.

Qualifications

A degree in mechanical, aerospace, or another engineering discipline. A thermal design project that went from analysis through test and into flying hardware. Comfortable working hands-on with hardware and technicians. Commitment to feedback and growth, and a drive to perform in a fast-paced, high-intensity environment.

Skills

Strong proficiency in thermal network modeling, battery thermal management, and Python or MATLAB. Hands-on experience with thermal-vacuum or altitude chambers, instrumentation, and model correlation. Experience in low-convection environments and the ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, high-intensity environment.

Benefits

Meaningful equity, top market salary and bonuses, health, dental, and vision insurance, factory in El Segundo, real ownership of real hardware, real flight, high signal-to-noise ratio culture, dream desk setup, daily lunch, and unlimited celsius.

Pay

$150,000 - $190,000 USD

Schedule

Onsite in El Segundo; this role is not remote.