Spacecraft Thermal Engineer

Position Title: Spacecraft Thermal Engineer

Work Location: Albuquerque, NM

• Clearance Requirement: Active Top-Secret security clearance is required.

• Employment Type: Full-time

About Us: BlackVe, Inc. is a mission-first, dynamic, and innovative national security-focused company focused on emerging space and advanced technologies dedicated to pushing the boundaries of engineering excellence in support of our government customers.

Job Description:

BlackVe is seeking an experienced Spacecraft Thermal Engineer to support the design, analysis, integration, and testing of spacecraft and space-related hardware. This position will lead design and development of spacecraft thermal subsystem and overall spacecraft thermal control, including designing and executing thermal vacuum testing and model verification/validation.

The ideal candidate brings strong understanding of spacecraft thermal radiative and conductive engineering principles and hands-on experience with spacecraft radiative thermal design and testing.  This individual will work closely with systems, mechanical, electrical, manufacturing, quality, and program teams to develop reliable, high-performance solutions that meet demanding mission requirements.

This is a fully on-site position based in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Key Responsibilities and Essential Job Functions:

• Design, develop, and test spacecraft thermal control systems in variety of orbital conditions.

• Create and analyze thermal testing for verification and validation of total system thermal performance/safety.

• Develop detailed schematics for thermal active and passive components.

• Perform simulations and modeling to predict system performance and identify potential issues throughout the spacecraft life cycle.

• Integrate thermal control and coating components with other spacecraft systems, ensuring compatibility and performance.

• Collaborate with mechanical, software, and systems engineering teams to achieve optimal design solutions.

• Conduct system-level testing and validation to ensure reliability and functionality.

• Prepare and maintain detailed design documentation, including specifications, drawings, and test reports.

• Ensure designs comply with industry standards, regulations, and customer requirements.

• Participate in design reviews and provide technical guidance to junior engineers and technicians.

• Diagnose and resolve issues related to thermal systems during the development, testing, and operational phases.

• Provide technical support for production and fielded spacecraft as needed.

• Support engineering decisions with sound analytical evidence anchored in first principles.

• Foster a culture of collaboration, personal ownership, accountability, and self-learning.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical discipline.

• At least three years of relevant mechanical or aerospace engineering with focus on spacecraft thermal systems and radiative heating

• Experience performing radiation thermal analyses and proficiency with Thermal Desktop

• Experience with thermal subsystem design, including specification of thermal coatings, blanketing and overall thermal control techniques.

• Knowledge of thermal vacuum testing and design, test and implementation of test fixtures for thermal vacuum testing.

• Familiarity with spacecraft environmental conditions and requirements.

• Ability to interpret technical requirements and develop documented verification approaches.

• Strong technical writing, problem-solving, and communication skills.

• Ability to collaborate across multidisciplinary teams.

• Active Top Secret security clearance.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related discipline.

• Experience supporting spacecraft development, satellite production, payload integration, and launch integration.

• Familiarity with NASA, Department of Defense, or other government space-system standards and requirements.

• Experience correlating analytical models with environmental test results.

• Familiarity with engineering automation tools, configuration management, and engineering change-control systems.

• Demonstrated experience and success as a technical lead, supervising other engineers with responsibility for quality of their work product

Work Environment:

• Work is performed primarily in office, laboratory, clean-room, and manufacturing environments.

• The position may require occasional travel to customers, supplier, or testing locations.

• Some activities may require working outside normal business hours to support critical integration or test events.

• The employee must be able to work safely around spacecraft hardware, laboratory equipment, and manufacturing operations.

Location and Travel Requirements:

• This position is based in Albuquerque, NM, with occasional travel to other company locations or partner facilities as needed.  

Why Join Us:

• Mission first-Always. We prioritize delivering results that directly support space and intelligence community programs and national security objectives.

• We operate as one team, grounded in trust, accountability, and open collaboration, where individuals actively support one another to achieve shared mission success.

• Work on high-impact programs across space, ISR, and advanced technology domains supporting DoD and IC customers.

• Ownership-driven culture is founded in teamwork where every employee is an owner, with equity participation and a direct stake in our success.

• Competitive compensation and benefits package, including flexible time off; 401(k) with company contribution

• Constant opportunities for program and professional impact.

ITAR / EAR Requirements:

This position may include access to technology and/or data that is subject to U.S. export controls pursuant to ITAR and EAR.  To comply with federal export controls, all persons hired must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, U.S. lawful permanent resident, refugee or asylee as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(A)(3), or must otherwise be eligible to obtain the required authorization from the U.S. Department of State and/or U.S. Department of Commerce as applicable.

How to Apply:

Please submit your resume and brief cover letter outlining your qualifications and interest on the form below. If there are any issues with applying or inquiries, please email to hiring@blackve.us.

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