Senior Thermal Engineer

Toulouse, France

Job Type

Full Time

About the Company

Established in 2017, Infinite Orbits is a NewSpace company, based in Toulouse, pushing the boundaries of in-orbit services with cutting-edge spacecraft driven by its own Rendez-Vous solution, an advanced Autonomous Vision-Based Navigation Solution. IO has two generations of missions

• "Orbit Guard" provides Inspection and Space Situational Awareness services in GEO. Our first, OG-1 was launched on 1 May 2023, the second is launching in 2025 and the third third launching in 2026.

• "Endurance" is a docking service capable of extending the life of GEO telecom satellites, by taking over AOCS takeover for 5 years.

About the Role

To complete our dynamic and international team, we are looking for a Senior Thermal Engineer to lead the thermal design, analysis, and verification of high-performance systems such as spacecraft, satellites, avionics, or aerospace structures. This role involves ownership of thermal subsystem architecture, modelling, and validation, ensuring thermal control requirements are met under a wide range of operating conditions.

Job Description

Thermal Design & Analysis

• Lead thermal design efforts from concept through delivery for spacecraft, payloads, electronics, or mechanical systems.

• Develop thermal control systems using passive (radiators, insulation, thermal straps) and active (heaters, loop heat pipes, pumped loops) solutions.

• Perform thermal modeling and simulation using tools such as Thermal Desktop, ESATAN, Sinda/Fluint, Ansys Icepak, or equivalent.

System Integration & Requirements

• Define and manage thermal requirements based on mission needs and environmental constraints.

• Develop and maintain thermal mathematical models (TMMs) at both component and system levels.

• Ensure proper thermal interfaces between subsystems (mechanical, electrical, payload, etc.).

Verification & Testing

• Develop and execute thermal test plans including:

• Thermal balance tests

• Thermal vacuum tests (TVAC)

• Bakeout and thermal cycling

• Correlate thermal models with test data and refine predictions accordingly.

Documentation & Reporting

• Prepare technical documentation, including thermal design reports, analyses, test plans, and compliance matrices.

• Support internal and customer design reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR).

Mentorship & Leadership

• Mentor junior engineers and guide best practices in thermal design and simulation.

• Provide technical leadership within multidisciplinary project teams.

Requirements

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related discipline.

• Minimum 5–10 years of experience in thermal engineering, ideally in the space or aerospace sector.

• Proficiency with thermal simulation software and experience with spacecraft or high-reliability electronics thermal design.

• Knowledge of applicable standards (e.g., ECSS-E-30-01, NASA-STD-7009, MIL-STD thermal test practices).

• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and documentation skills.

Good to have:

• Experience with thermal design for CubeSats, LEO/GEO spacecraft, or high-density electronics.

• Familiarity with CAD tools (e.g., SolidWorks, CATIA) and their thermal model export interfaces.

• Knowledge of mission operations constraints (e.g., orbital environments, eclipses, radiative conditions).

• Experience supporting launch vehicle integration or in-orbit operations.

What we offer

• The opportunity to be part of an international team transforming the space industry.

• A creative and innovative work environment where ideas turn into reality.

• Competitive salary and benefits.