Thermal Engineer
US$130,000 – US$180,000 / yr base salary
Posted 22 May 2026
Advertised as “Sr. Thermal Engineer, Thermal & Fluid Analysis (Starship)”
BranchFactor Summary
The original posting with the fluff stripped out
- Expected experience
- 5+ yrs
- Management level
- Individual contributor
| Base salary | US$130,000 – US$180,000 / yr |
|---|
Field of studyEngineering
Study levelBachelor's
Field of studyEngineering
Study levelMaster's
SpaceX was founded under the belief that a future where humanity is out exploring the stars is fundamentally more exciting than one where we are not. Today SpaceX is actively developing the technologies to make this possible, with the ultimate goal of enabling human life on Mars.
SR. THERMAL ENGINEER, THERMAL & FLUID ANALYSIS (STARSHIP)
As a Senior Thermal Engineer on the Starship Thermal & Fluids analysis team, you are responsible for the thermal design, test, and validation of vehicles and hardware. You will make engineering decisions to improve vehicle performance and reliability to help create a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Own thermal design of spacecraft, launch vehicles, and hardware, from initial high-level analysis down to validation of performance with ground tests, flight, and orbital data.
- Automate workflow above to reduce engineering investment in per-mission analysis.
- Pursue performance/robustness improvements.
- Pursue operational simplicity and seek to reduce burden on other groups at SpaceX.
- Produce quality documentation of your work to reduce miss-rate and improve efficiency.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline.
- 5+ years of professional experience using engineering simulation software such as MATLAB.
PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:
- Master’s degree in an engineering discipline.
- 5+ years professional experience with thermal or fluid analysis.
- Strong understanding of spacecraft and/or launch vehicle systems.
- Experience with 0-D and 1-D thermal/fluid networks.
- Experience with Thermal Desktop and/or ANSYS Workbench.
- Working knowledge of scripting languages (specifically Python).
- Excellent oral and written communication skills.
- Ability to deliver against an aggressive schedule.
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
- Must be available to work extended hours and weekends as needed.
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:
Pay range:
Thermal Engineer/Senior: $130,000 - $180,000/per year
Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience.