Thermal Engineer

Astroscale UK are looking for a Thermal Engineer to join the team at our new state-of-the-art office in Harwell, UK.

  

We are a fast-growing company where you can expand on your experience and develop your skills further to enable your team to deliver amazing results. Your role will help us make a difference every day by ensuring the thermal team is well placed to drive forward our missions and help to make space safer and more sustainable for future generations. 

Our thermal team is involved in the design of both the spacecraft platform and payload elements, and you will be regularly engaging with the wider engineering teams to optimise the thermal design, run thermal testing, and provide thermal inputs to the overall system design.

This role will be working as a Thermal Engineer as part of the Systems Engineering Group and means you will need to be able to:

• Understand the CONOPS and system constraints driving hot and cold cases.
• Engage with sub-systems and payloads to understand thermal constraints.
• Develop and maintain thermal models to appropriate levels of detail through the project lifecycle.
• Work with structure and MCAD to trade off thermal and mechanical constraints.
• Work with the AIT team to optimise thermal test set ups for validation and verification of thermal models and designs.

This role will therefore need a candidate who can understand both the analysis and the architecture, ensuring that system design and configuration meets the thermal requirements of our missions.

Responsibilities

• Capturing thermal requirements & constraints
• Designing and developing the thermal subsystem
• Analysis and architecture definition of the Thermal Control System (TCS)
• Developing thermal and geometrical models – GMM / TMM
• Managing the thermal work packages and planning the activities in line with requirements
• Definition and execution of test campaigns; analysis of results
• Producing and reviewing reports and technical documentation
• Working with a range of internal and external stakeholders
• Working as part of project teams through the full lifecycle from feasibility studies to testing, taking part in progress meetings and reviews
• Providing thermal inputs for business development activity

Essential Skills

• 2-5 years of commercial experience working as a thermal engineer of space systems, performing design and analysis
• Experience and knowledge of thermal analysis tools such as ESATAN-TMS / Systema Thermica
• Thorough understanding of design involvement in planning, executing and evaluating results from thermal tests
• Able to demonstrate technical leadership and work as part of a project team
• Professional level English – C1 minimum

Desirable skills

• University degree in physics, aerospace engineering or other relevant discipline
• Knowledge of python, VBA, Matlab or batch scripting
• Experience with CAD software such as Solidworks
• Knowledge of other engineering disciplines such as structural, mechanisms, electrical

Benefits

• Competitive base salary
• Opportunity to work with a highly talented international team working on cutting edge technology
• Flexible working around core hours
• Hybrid working (Depending on individual role requirements)
• 25 days holiday (increasing yearly up to a maximum of 28 days)
• Life insurance and long-term sick pay
• Private healthcare (taxable benefit)
• Relocation allowance
• Visa sponsorship for employees considered
• New state of the art office and cleanroom facility
• Regular social events 

Location

Astroscale UK (Harwell), with potential for some travel to Astroscale Japan (Tokyo)

About Astroscale

We aim to deliver cutting edge technologies that will become part of routine commercial space operations by 2030. 

 

Astroscale is the first private company with a vision to secure the safe and sustainable development of space for the benefit of future generations, and the only company dedicated to in-orbit servicing across all orbits. Founded in 2013, we are developing innovative and scalable solutions across the spectrum of in-orbit servicing missions, including End of Life services, Active Debris Removal, In-situ Space Situational Awareness and Life Extension Services, to create sustainable space systems and mitigate against the hazardous build-up of debris in space. 

 

Astroscale is an Equal Opportunities employer and embraces a diverse workforce. All qualified applicants, including minorities, women and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. 

 

Note to recruitment agencies: Astroscale operates a preferred Supplier List, and we do not accept unsolicited agency approaches. Please do not forward candidate CVs or details in response to this advert, or to any Astroscale employee.