Senior Thermal Engineer – Payload Systems

About the role

Blue Origin is pioneering the future of space-based communications with TeraWave, a revolutionary satellite communications network designed to deliver symmetrical data speeds of up to 6 Tbps anywhere on Earth. We are seeking a Senior Thermal Engineer to lead the thermal design and analysis of advanced phased array antenna systems for both satellite payloads and ground-based user terminals.

Responsibilities

• Lead thermal architecture development for satellite-based phased array antennas, including active RF front ends, beamforming ICs, and associated power electronics.
• Design and optimize thermal solutions for ground-based phased array terminals operating under dynamic environmental conditions (solar loading, ambient extremes, precipitation, and installation variability).
• Develop detailed thermal models using tools such as Thermal Desktop, SINDA/FLUINT, or equivalent, covering conduction, radiation, and convection regimes as appropriate.
• Define and manage thermal interfaces across payload subsystems, including radiators, heat pipes, loop heat pipes, cold plates, and structural elements.
• Perform transient and steady-state thermal analyses to validate performance under mission profiles, including peak RF duty cycles, eclipse transitions, and worst-case environmental conditions.
• Collaborate closely with RF, mechanical, and systems engineering teams to ensure thermal constraints are integrated into antenna element layout, T/R module design, and packaging.
• Establish thermal requirements, margins, and verification plans aligned with mission reliability and lifetime goals.
• Support hardware development, including thermal testing, correlation of models to test data, and anomaly resolution.
• Drive thermal design trades balancing performance, mass, power consumption, manufacturability, and cost for both space and ground systems.
• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to organizational best practices in thermal engineering.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, Physics or related field.
• 8+ years of experience in thermal engineering for aerospace, RF systems, or high-performance electronics.
• Demonstrated experience with spaceborne thermal design, including vacuum environments, radiation heat transfer, and flight hardware qualification.
• Strong understanding of phased array antenna systems, including thermal challenges associated with dense T/R module integration and high-power densities.
• Experience with thermal modeling tools (e.g., Thermal Desktop, SINDA/FLUINT, ANSYS Icepak, or equivalent).
• Knowledge of materials, coatings, and thermal interface technologies suitable for space and outdoor ground systems.
• Familiarity with environmental standards (e.g., NASA, ESA, MIL-STD) and qualification testing.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s or PhD degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, Physics or related field.
• Experience with Q/V-band or higher frequency RF systems and associated thermal constraints.
• Background in both space and terrestrial antenna systems, particularly electronically steered arrays.
• Experience with advanced cooling techniques, including loop heat pipes, vapor chambers, and liquid cooling systems.
• Experience supporting production scaling and cost optimization for phased array hardware.

Key Attributes

• Strong systems thinking and ability to work across multidisciplinary teams.
• Ability to translate complex thermal challenges into practical engineering solutions.
• Prominent leadership in driving designs from concept through qualification and deployment.
• Excellent communication skills for both technical and programmatic stakeholders.

Pay

Base Pay Range For CO applicants is $144,179.00 - $201,849.90 WA applicants is $156,802.00 - $219,522.45 Other Site Ranges May Differ

Schedule

N/A

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, basic and supplemental life insurance
• Paid parental leave
• Short and long-term disability
• 401(k) with a company match of up to 5%
• Education Support Program
• Paid Time Off: Up to four (4) weeks per year based on weekly scheduled hours, and up to 14 company-paid holidays
• Stock Options for all regular employees (working at least 20 hours/week)