Senior Thermal Engineer

Location

Burlingame, CA

Employment Type

Full time

Location Type

On-site

Department

Satellite

Compensation

• $110K – $190K • Offers Equity

The final job level and salary will be determined based on a range of factors including the candidate’s education, qualifications, knowledge, skills, abilities, and relevant experience. The listed salary range is provided to offer insight into potential compensation, but it’s not a guarantee of the final offer. While we include the full range to be transparent, offers most often fall within the middle portion rather than the top.

Xona is the navigational intelligence company bringing real-time, centimeter-level certainty to any device, anywhere on Earth.

With Pulsar – the world’s most advanced PNT satellite infrastructure in Low Earth Orbit – Xona will offer a future-proof, backwards-compatible global positioning system optimized for absolute precision, superior power, and robust protection.

We’re seeking a Thermal Engineer to join our satellite engineering team. You’ll own the development and validation of the thermal system that keeps our spacecraft and payloads alive and within spec throughout their missions. This role spans thermal design, modeling, and testing, and is integral to ensuring Xona’s spacecraft operate reliably in the harsh environment of space.

You’ll work closely with the mechanical, payload, and power teams to ensure proper thermal control across all mission phases - from launch to LEO.

What You’ll Do:

• Design and implement passive and active thermal control solutions (radiators, coatings, MLI, heaters, etc.)
• Develop and maintain thermal models to support concept development, detailed design, and verification
• Simulate orbital thermal environments and perform worst-case temperature analyses
• Lead and support thermal testing campaigns, including thermal vacuum (TVAC) and thermal cycling tests
• Collaborate to define thermal requirements and margins across subsystems
• Work with mechanical and integration teams to define hardware layout and thermal interfaces
• Prepare documentation and analysis to support reviews and customer deliverables

Desired Qualifications

• Experience with satellite mission thermal modeling and on-orbit operations
• Familiarity with CAD and FEA tools (SolidWorks, ANSYS, COMSOL, etc.)

Requirements

• B.S. or M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related discipline
• 2–5 years of experience in thermal design and analysis, ideally in the aerospace or satellite industry
• Proficiency with thermal modeling tools (e.g., Thermal Desktop, SINDA/FLUINT, ESATAN, or similar)
• Familiarity with space thermal environments and heat transfer principles (conduction, radiation, etc.)
• Experience designing and testing thermal hardware (heaters, insulation, thermistors, etc.)
• Hands‑on mindset, able to transition between analysis and real hardware

For U.S. Roles: To comply with U.S. Government space technology export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the United States (i.e. Green Card holder), or other protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3).

For U.K. Roles: To comply with U.K. regulations, this role requires Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) checks, and successful candidates must be eligible to obtain UK Security Clearance (SC).

For Canada Roles: Successful candidates must obtain and hold a security clearance at the reliability status level, and pass security assessment for the Canadian Controlled Goods Program (CGP) and ITAR.

We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.

Compensation Range: $110K - $190K