Senior Thermal Engineer - TeraWave

Application close date:

At Blue Origin, we envision millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth. We’re working to develop reusable, safe, and low-cost space vehicles and systems within a culture of safety, collaboration, and inclusion. Join our team of problem solvers as we add new chapters to the history of spaceflight!

We are looking for a Senior Thermal Engineer to own the thermal design of our phased array antennas - both satellite payload arrays and ground user terminals.

A phased array is one of the most thermally unforgiving pieces of hardware you can put in orbit. High power density across hundreds of packages, in vacuum, where the only ways out are conduction to structure and radiation to space. The arrays operate in bursts, so the problem is transient rather than steady-state: heat has to be absorbed fast, held, and rejected before the next pass. And the failure mode isn't a simple limit exceedance - past a threshold junction temperature the RF front ends lose efficiency and dissipate more power for the same output, so the problem can run away on itself.

That makes thermal a first-order constraint on the product, not a downstream check. Radiator area competes with bus size; peak temperature competes with capacity; interface conductance competes with mass, manufacturability, and unit cost at rate. You'd sit in the middle of those trades, early enough that the answers aren't fixed. On the ground side the same physics sets terminal size and weight - heat rejection, not electronics, dominates the industrial design. You'll work both.

What you'll do

• Own thermal architecture for satellite phased array payloads - RF front ends, beamforming ICs, power electronics - and for ground terminal arrays.
• Build and run transient thermal models of dense multi-chip board stacks, from die junction out to structure and radiators.
• Drive the interface design that governs performance: mounting and preload, interface materials and bondlines, heat pipes, spreaders, thermal storage.
• Define the duty-cycle and operational limits the constellation flies to, working with operations and planning teams so thermal constraints show up as capacity rather than surprises.
• Run architecture-level trades and quantify what each buys in degrees, kilograms, and dollars per unit.
• Set requirements, margins, and verification plans; execute thermal test articles and correlate models to test.
• Design for a high-rate production line. A solution that works once but can't be built repeatably at takt isn't a solution here.
• Mentor engineers and help establish how thermal engineering is practiced on a fast-scaling program.

Required qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Physics, or related field.
• 8+ years in thermal engineering for aerospace, RF systems, or high-power-density electronics.
• Spaceborne thermal design experience: vacuum, radiation heat transfer, flight hardware qualification.
• Strong grasp of phased array thermal challenges - dense front-end integration, high areal power density, and the coupling between junction temperature and RF efficiency.
• Proficiency with thermal modeling tools (Thermal Desktop, SINDA/FLUINT, ANSYS Icepak, or equivalent), and the judgment to know when a hand calculation should bracket the model.
• Working knowledge of materials, coatings, and interface technologies for space and outdoor terrestrial hardware.
• Familiarity with environmental and qualification standards (NASA, ESA, MIL-STD or similar).

Preferred qualifications

• Master's or PhD in a related field.
• Both space and terrestrial antenna systems, particularly electronically steered arrays.
• Advanced techniques: phase change materials, heat pipes, vapor chambers, loop heat pipes, liquid cooling.
• Board- and package-level thermal work - TIM characterization, BGA and lid paths, junction-to-case resistance.
• Taking hardware from prototype into volume production, including cost and mass optimization at rate.
• Transient thermal analysis coupled to operational planning.

How you work

• Systems thinking - this role only succeeds across RF, silicon, structures, power, avionics, operations, and manufacturing.
• Willing to state the real thermal limit early, when it constrains someone else's design.
• Comfortable where requirements are still being written and your analysis is one of the inputs writing them.
• Able to reduce a coupled physics problem to a decision a team can act on this week.
• Clear with both deep technical peers and program leadership.

Base Pay Range for:

Other site ranges may differ

Culture Statement

Don’t meet all desired requirements? Studies have shown that some people are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single desired qualification. At Blue Origin, we are dedicated to building an authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every desired qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Export Control Regulations

Applicants for employment at Blue Origin must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (i.e. current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum.

Background Check

• Required for all positions: Blue’s Standard Background Check
• Required for Certain Job Profiles: Defense Biometric Identification System (DBIDS) background check if at any time the role requires one to be on a military installation
• Required for Certain Job Profiles: Drivers who operate Commercial Motor Vehicles with a Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW), Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) or combination of power unit and trailer that meets or exceeds 10,001 lbs. and/or transports placardable amounts of hazardous materials by ground in any vehicle on a public road while in commerce, may be subject to additional Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations including: Driver Qualification Files, Medical Certification (obtained before onboarding), Road Test, Hours of Service, Drug and Alcohol Testing, vehicle inspection requirements, CDL requirements (if applicable) and hazardous materials transportation/shipping training.
• Required for certain Job Profiles: Ability to obtain and maintain Merchant Mariner Credential, which includes pre-employment and random drug testing as well as DOT physical

Benefits

• Benefits include: 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%, and an Education Support Program.
• Stock Options for all regular employees (working at least 20 hours/week)
• Paid Time Off: Up to four (4) weeks per year based on weekly scheduled hours, and up to 14 company-paid holidays.
• Dependent on role type and job level, employees may be eligible for benefits and bonuses based on the company's intent to reward individual contributions and enable them to share in the company's results, or other factors at the company's sole discretion. Bonus amounts and eligibility are not guaranteed and subject to change and cancellation. Please check with your recruiter for more details.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Blue Origin is proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and is committed to attracting, retaining, and developing a highly qualified and dedicated work force. Blue Origin hires and promotes people on the basis of their qualifications, performance, and abilities. We support the establishment and maintenance of a workplace that fosters trust, equality, and teamwork. We provide all qualified applicants for employment and employees with equal opportunities for hire, promotion, and other terms and conditions of employment, regardless of their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin/ethnicity, age, physical or mental disability, genetic factors, military/veteran status, or any other status or characteristic protected by federal, state, and/or local law. Blue Origin will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with applicable federal, state, and local laws, including the Washington Fair Chance Act, the California Fair Chance Act, the Los Angeles Fair Chance in Hiring Ordinance, and other applicable laws. For more information on “Know Your Rights,” please see here.

Affirmative Action and Disability Accommodation

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