Thermal Fluids Section Manager

About the role

Axiom Space is seeking a bold and dynamic Thermal Fluids Section Manager who is fueled by high accountability, execution horsepower, and driven to understand our world, science/technology, and life itself, for the benefit of all on Earth and beyond.

Responsibilities

The Thermal Fluids Section Manager provides functional leadership for the Thermal Fluids Analysis organization, including Thermal Analysis, and Computational Fluid Dynamics. The role is responsible for developing the people, processes, tools, standards, and technical capabilities needed to support current and future programs.

• Lead personnel assignments and priorities across multiple programs and technical disciplines within Thermal Analysis and Computational Fluid Dynamics.
• Develop and execute section staffing strategies, including workforce planning, hiring, onboarding, retention, succession planning, cross-training, and employee development.
• Maintain labor forecasts, staffing plans, budget inputs, BOEs, ROMs, and resource estimates for section work to ensure programs have adequate thermal fluid analysis support to meet cost, schedule, technical quality, and customer commitments.
• Partner with program managers, chief engineers, and functional leaders to balance priorities, resolve resource conflicts, and manage technical and schedule risks.
• Serve as the escalation point for technical issues, staffing conflicts, quality concerns, and cross-disciplinary coordination challenges.
• Track and communicate section performance against budget, schedule, quality, deliverable completion, review closure, and customer commitments.
• Establish, maintain, and enforce section workflows, review gates, standards, templates, analysis checklists, reporting expectations, and configuration-control practices to ensure technical rigor and consistency.
• Establish and monitor metrics related to quality, productivity, staffing utilization, review effectiveness, and process maturity, and drive continuous improvement initiatives.
• Conducts audits, supports customer reviews, design reviews, readiness reviews, and defines corrective-action activities related to thermal fluids analysis products and processes.
• Develop and maintain section technical capabilities, methods, software tools, automation solutions, and knowledge management practices (e.g., lessons learned) to ensure long-term competitiveness and program success.
• Conduct employee one-on-ones, performance evaluations, career development discussions, promotion planning, recognition, counseling, and corrective actions as needed.
• Review and approve employee timecards, overtime, travel, training, and resource requests.
• Communicate section performance, staffing risks, technical concerns, and improvement plans to upper management.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

• BS in Mechanical, Aerospace, Chemical, or related engineering discipline.
• 8+ years of engineering experience, including significant experience in thermal analysis, fluid systems, heat transfer, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and thermal verification and testing.
• 3+ years of experience leading engineering teams, technical organizations, or functional groups, including personnel development, resource planning, and multi-disciplinary coordination.
• Experience with industry-standard thermal and fluid analysis tools and workflows, including software such as Thermal Desktop, SINDA/FLUINT, Star-CCM+, OpenFOAM, MATLAB, Python, or equivalent tools.
• Demonstrated ability to manage staffing plans, labor forecasts, budgets, schedules, priorities, and multi-program resource demands.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate technical issues and recommendations effectively to engineering leadership, program management, customers, and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Experience developing or enforcing engineering workflows, quality procedures, technical standards, review gates, and deliverable expectations.
• Strong communication, organization, mentoring, customer interface, and leadership skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• MS degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, or Chemical Engineering or related discipline.
• PMP certification.
• Experience supporting human spaceflight programs and familiarity with NASA standards and requirements.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary thermal analysis and fluid systems organizations.
• Experience with thermal vacuum testing, fluid systems testing, model correlation, and verification activities.
• Experience with configuration management and engineering quality systems.
• Familiarity with spacecraft thermal control systems, environmental control and life support systems (ECLSS), propulsion fluid systems, cryogenic systems, or other aerospace thermal-fluid applications.

Core Skills

• Passion for space and the mission
• Entrepreneurial, growth mindset
• High EQ and ability to collaborate within teams and cross-functionally
• Tech-solutioning in using systems and tools to move smarter and faster

Core Competencies

• Ownership and Accountability
• Pride of Delivery
• Quality and Technical Rigor

Work Environment

Generally, an office environment, but can involve inside or outside work depending on the task.

Physical Requirements

• Work may involve sitting or standing for extended periods (90% of the time)
• May require lifting and carrying up to 25 lbs. (5% of the time)
• Equipment and Machines: Standard office equipment (PC, phone, printer, etc.)