{"id":652294,"url":"https://alion.io/job/k2-space-principal-thermal-design-engineer","title":"Principal Thermal Design Engineer","company":{"id":171840,"name":"K2 Space","domain":"k2space.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/k2-space","size_band":"501-1000","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Greenhouse","truth_index":{"grade":"A","score":85,"open_postings":202,"ghost_share":0.173,"stale_share":0,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":88,"computed_at":"2026-10-30T05:48:23Z"}},"role":"Industrial Engineering","role_family":"Industrial Engineering","seniority":"lead","employment_type":null,"work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Los Angeles, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":175000,"max":295000,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":295000},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":8,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"ANSYS","optional":false},{"name":"Python","optional":false},{"name":"Thermal Desktop","optional":false},{"name":"C++","optional":true},{"name":"MATLAB","optional":true}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-07-22T21:26:57Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-07-22","last_verified_at":"2026-10-30T09:07:07Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":99,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":0,"flags":["company_stale"],"days_open":98},"description":"K2 is building the largest and highest-power satellites ever flown, unlocking performance levels previously out of reach across every orbit. Backed by over $1 billion in total funding from leading investors including Altimeter Capital, ICONIQ, Kleiner Perkins, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Redpoint Ventures, and T. Rowe Price - and with over $1 billion in signed contracts across commercial and US government customers, we're mass-producing the highest-power satellite platforms ever built for missions from LEO to deep space.\nThe rise of heavy-lift launch vehicles is shifting the industry from an era of mass constraint to one of mass abundance, and we believe this new era demands a fundamentally different class of spacecraft. Engineered to survive the harshest radiation environments and to fully capitalize on today's and tomorrow's massive rockets, K2 satellites deliver unmatched capability at constellation scale and across multiple orbits.\nWith multiple launches in 2027 and plans to scale to 100 satellites a year, we're Building Bigger - helping develop the solar system and build toward a Kardashev Type II (K2) civilization. If you are a motivated individual who thrives in a fast-paced environment and you're excited about contributing to the success of a high-growth Series D-funded company, we'd love for you to apply.\nThe Role \nYou will be a core driver of the detailed thermal design of spacecraft subsystems by running thermal analysis at both the component and spacecraft level. You will also be involved in exploring different thermal management strategies and demonstrating them through test campaigns. Our ideal candidate has experience with in-orbit integrated thermal analysis of spacecraft components using both first principles as well analytical models using software tools (such as Thermal Desktop, Ansys IcePak, and Python for automation purposes). Hands-on experience with thermal testing for spacecraft components such as thermal cycling and TVAC is highly preferred. \nResponsibilities \nCollaborate with Mechanical teams to develop passive and active thermal control hardware for the spacecraft including radiators, heaters, heat pipes, and surface coating \nPartner with Avionics teams to develop thermal models and thermal tests for electronic assemblies \nWork with the GNC teams to define and thermally analyze nominal and contingency cases for in-orbit operations of the spacecraft \nDevelop and maintain thermal models for spacecraft and sub-components using Thermal Desktop and Ansys \nInterface with vendors and launcher providers to understand their design and translate it into thermal-related requirements \nAutomate data analysis to support architectural trades effectively \nSet up and execute thermal testing ranging from development to qualification \nQualifications \n8+ years of experience with satellite thermal design and analysis \nDemonstrated experience with radiative and conductive thermal modeling of spacecraft systems using Thermal Desktop \nExperience with selection, sizing, and design of thermal control hardware including heat pipes, heaters, stickers, OSR, thermal straps, thermal paints, tapes, MLI, TEC \nExperience with thermal cycling and thermal vacuum testing including predictions, setup, instrumentation and thermal model correlation \nNice to Have \nExperience with full-vehicle thermal vacuum testing and model correlation \nExperience with spacecraft thermal design optimized for cost, reliability, performance and manufacturability \nExperience with integrated thermal analysis of spacecraft and rocket \nExperience with solar panel thermal modeling \nExperience with electrical PCBA thermal modeling and thermal interface materials (thermal grease, gap pads, etc.) \nExperience with spacecraft primary radiator design and analysis \nFamiliarity with SMC-S016 standard or equivalent \nExperience with Python, C/C++, or Matlab for thermal modeling and automated data analysis \nCompensation and Benefits: \nBase salary range for this role is $175,000 - $295,000 + equity in the company \nSalary will be based on several factors including, but not limited to: knowledge and skills, education, and experience level \nComprehensive benefits package including paid time off, medical/dental/vision/ coverage, life insurance, paid parental leave, and many other perks \nIf you don’t meet 100% of the preferred skills and experience, we encourage you to still apply! Building a spacecraft unlike any other requires a team unlike any other and non-traditional career twists and turns are encouraged!\nIf you need a reasonable accommodation as part of your application for employment or interviews with us, please let us know.\nExport Compliance\nAs defined in the ITAR, “U.S. Persons” include U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents (i.e., Green Card holders), and certain protected individuals (e.g., refugees/asylees, American Samoans). Please consult with a knowledgeable advisor if you are unsure whether you are a “U.S. Person.”\nThe person hired for this role will have access to information and items controlled by U.S. export control regulations, including the export control regulations outlined in the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR). The person hired for this role must therefore either be a “U.S. person” as defined by 22 C.F.R. § 120.15 or otherwise eligible for a federally issued export control license.\nEqual Opportunity\nK2 Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with K2 Space is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.","description_format":"text","description_chars":5791,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":8,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":null,"security_clearance":true,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Equity","Life insurance","Parental leave"],"hiring_locations":[{"name":"United States","iso":"US","kind":"country"}],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Satellite Manufacturing"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-09-10T20:35:41Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":35,"band":"fade","label":"Fading","p_open":1,"p_active":0.788,"p_room":0.44,"age_days":99,"expected_fill_days":88,"reasons":["conf:1","velocity","win:tail","crowd:brand"],"computed_at":"2026-10-30T05:48:23Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":295000,"is_top_pay":true},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/k2-space-principal-thermal-design-engineer","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/k2-space-principal-thermal-design-engineer.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-30T10:37:12Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":15289,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-10-31T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":171840},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=171840"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fk2-space-principal-thermal-design-engineer"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fk2-space-principal-thermal-design-engineer"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fk2-space-principal-thermal-design-engineer"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/k2-space-principal-thermal-design-engineer\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fk2-space-principal-thermal-design-engineer"}],"agent":{"mcp":"https://alion.io/mcp/jobs","mcp_open":"https://alion.io/mcp/open","next":[{"tool":"get_job","arguments":{"id":652294}},{"tool":"search_jobs","arguments":{"company":"k2space.com","detail":"compact"}},{"tool":"match_people","arguments":{"job_id":652294},"note":"people open to offers who fit this vacancy"}],"note":"The same data through MCP tools: https://alion.io/mcp/open needs no sign-in (compact searches, postings, people); https://alion.io/mcp with an Alion account has everything. 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