Thermal Protection System (TPS) Engineer

About the role

We are seeking a talented and passionate Thermal Protection System (TPS) Engineer to join our team at Amentum. Our mission is to support the design, analysis, and verification of advanced TPS architectures for human-rated and uncrewed spacecraft. You will contribute to the full lifecycle of TPS development, ensuring designs meet mission requirements for structural integrity, thermal performance, reliability, manufacturability, and safety.

Responsibilities

• Support the design, analysis, and verification of ablative, reusable, and multi-layer insulating TPS materials for spacecraft.
• Develop thermal models and perform transient/steady-state analyses to evaluate TPS performance across mission phases.
• Conduct material trade studies, risk identification, and mitigation planning.
• Interface with structural, aerothermal, manufacturing, and systems engineering teams to integrate TPS solutions into the vehicle design.
• Review aerothermal environment predictions and translate loads into actionable TPS design criteria.
• Support TPS subsystem requirements development, validation, and configuration management.
• Plan testing and analyze results from high enthalpy test facilities (arc jet, inductively coupled plasma (ICP) torch, etc.).
• Support anomaly investigations and root cause analyses related to TPS performance.
• Prepare technical documentation including analysis reports, presentations, verification artifacts, and data packages.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in aerospace, mechanical, or related engineering, plus ten (10) years of related experience.
• License and certification may be required.
• Minimum of 5 years of engineering analysis experience related to thermal control systems.
• Experience with thermal modeling tools such as Thermal Desktop, SINDA/FLUINT, FEMAP, Abaqus, or equivalent.
• Demonstrated experience with spacecraft aerothermal environments, material characterization, and TPS design processes.
• Understanding of spacecraft certification, qualification, or verification/validation processes.
• Strong communication, documentation, and technical reasoning skills.

Preferences

• Master's degree or PhD in a related engineering discipline.
• Experience with re-entry vehicles, launch vehicles, or commercial spaceflight programs.
• Knowledge of ablative materials, reusable TPS systems, composites, high-temperature ceramics, or insulation blankets.
• Understanding of TPS physics under high enthalpy flow (ablation, multi-phase equilibria, radiative transport).
• Experience with heat testing (arc-jet, plasma torch, furnace testing) and associated data reduction.
• Familiarity with CAD tools, structural analysis, or multidisciplinary integration workflows.
• Experience in leadership or technical oversight roles.

Essential Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Citizen and successfully complete a U.S. government background investigation.
• Applicant selected may be subject to government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information.
• Work may involve sitting for extended periods.
• Might require lifting and carrying up to 25 lb.
• Must have sufficient mobility to enter areas of test facilities where necessary.
• Generally, an office environment but can involve inside or outside work depending on task.
• Standard office equipment (PC, telephone, fax, etc.)
• Regular attendance in accordance with established work schedule is critical.
• Able to work in a team atmosphere.
• Must put forward a professional behavior that enhances productivity and promotes teamwork and cooperation.
• Grooming and dress must be appropriate for the position and must not impose a safety risk/hazard to the employee or others.

Benefits

As a valued member of our team, you will enjoy competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits, and opportunities for growth and development. We offer a dynamic work environment, continuous learning, and a chance to contribute to groundbreaking projects in space exploration.

Pay

Competitive salary commensurate with experience and qualifications.

Schedule

Flexible work schedule to accommodate project needs and personal commitments.