Lead, Mechanical Engineer (Thermal) - Space Optics

About the job

Job Title: Lead, Mechanical Engineer (Thermal) – Space Optics

Job Code: 44597

Job Location: On-site in Palm Bay, FL or Fort Wayne, IN

Job Schedule: 9/80: Employees work 9 out of every 14 days- totaling 80 hours worked- and have every other Friday off

Relocation: Relocation assistance is available to qualified applicants

Job Description:

L3Harris is seeking an experienced and highly accomplished Lead Thermal Engineer to lead spacecraft‑level thermal design, modeling, and analysis activities for advanced space based electro-optical missions. This role is responsible for architecting and validating thermal solutions that ensure mission success across multiple orbital environments. The ideal candidate is a recognized technical expert capable of driving complex spacecraft thermal strategy, mentoring engineers, and collaborating across multidisciplinary teams.

Essential Functions:

• Serve as the technical lead for spacecraft‑level thermal design, defining architecture, strategies, and requirements for high‑reliability space vehicles.

• Develop detailed thermal models and analyses for all mission phases, including worst‑case hot/cold environments, eclipse conditions, orbital variations, and mission‑specific scenarios.

• Lead creation and validation of thermal control hardware—including radiators, coatings, heat pipes, surface finishes, insulation, heaters, and conductive interfaces.

• Own thermal performance budgets and flow‑down of requirements to payloads, avionics, structures, and propulsion subsystems.

• Evaluate thermal impacts of system trades, configuration changes, power profiles, and operational timelines.

• Direct development of thermal math models using industry-standard tools such as Thermal Desktop, SINDA/FLUINT, ESATAN‑TMS, or equivalent.

• Provide leadership during spacecraft hardware build, integration, and test—including thermal vacuum (TVAC) planning, execution, anomaly resolution, and correlation of test results to analysis.

• Guide environmental considerations for space platforms including radiation, conduction, convection-free behavior, material properties, surface degradation, and mission life effects.

• Act as a cross-functional leader, collaborating closely with systems engineering, mechanical design, power, RF, digital hardware, manufacturing, and mission assurance teams.

• Mentor junior and mid‑level engineers, establishing best practices and driving continuous improvement in thermal engineering processes.

• Prepare high‑quality documentation including thermal requirements, analysis reports, review packages, test plans, and verification matrices.

• Ability to obtain a US security clearance

Qualifications:

• Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering and a minimum of 9 years of prior relevant experience. Graduate Degree in Engineering and a minimum of 7 years of prior related experience. In lieu of a degree, minimum of 13 years of prior related experience.

• 5+ years professional experience using Thermal Desktop

• Prior or current professional experience with thermal design and analysis for space environment/products

• 2+ years of experience as an IPTL or providing technical leadership to an engineering team

Preferred Additional Skills:

• Experience designing for a space environment.

• Hold a current security Clearance or the ability to obtain a security clearance

• Deep understanding of spacecraft materials, thermal coatings, MLI, conductive interfaces, and active thermal control elements.

• Demonstrated success in developing, validating, and correlating thermal models to TVAC results.

• Ability to lead design reviews, guide complex decision-making, and communicate clearly with customers, leadership, and engineering teams.

• Experience working on government, DoD, or national security space missions.

• Knowledge of mission-specific environments such as GEO, LEO, cislunar, or deep space.

• Broad knowledge of thermal-fluids physics including heat conduction and convection of multi-phase flows

• Experience creating and overseeing the development of thermal testing control logic in SINDA/FLUENT

• Familiarity with structural-thermal-optical (STOP) analysis, deployment mechanism thermal behavior, or thermal considerations in RF/high‑power payloads.

• Experience with reliability assessments, derating, and long‑duration thermal performance modeling.