Thermal Engineering Manager

Astranis builds advanced satellites for high orbits, expanding humanity’s reach into the solar system. Today, Astranis satellites provide dedicated, secure networks to highly-sophisticated customers across the globe— large enterprises, sovereign governments, and the US military. With five satellites on orbit and many more set to launch soon, the company is servicing a backlog of more than $1 billion of commercial contracts.

Astranis is the preferred satellite communications partner for buyers with stringent requirements for uptime, data security, network visibility, and customization.Astranis has raised over $750 million from some of the world’s best investors, from Andreessen Horowitz to Blackrock and Fidelity, and employs a team of 450 engineers and entrepreneurs. Astranis designs, builds, and operates its satellites out of its 153,000 sq. ft. headquarters in Northern California, USA.

Thermal Engineering Manager

The Thermal Engineering Manager is responsible for owning the end-to-end execution of the satellite thermal system, spanning technical design, team leadership, and cross-functional execution. You will own a team whose technical responsibilities span electronics packaging and thermal reliability, subsystem thermal management, thermal hardware design and procurements, vehicle and unit level TVAC test planning and execution, and data analysis to support mission operations.

This role demands deep technical expertise in heat transfer and spacecraft thermal control, alongside a strong track record of leading engineering teams. You will be responsible for the technical growth of the individual thermal engineering team members, ensuring the team consistently delivers high-reliability designs aligned with aggressive program schedules.

Role

• Directly manage and grow a team of junior and senior thermal engineers, fostering a culture of technical excellence and ownership.

• Oversee the end-to-end design, analysis, build, and implementation of our satellite thermal management systems.

• Lead high-level architecture definition, trade studies, and vendor decisions for thermal hardware (heaters, heat pipes, coatings, etc.).

• Act as a primary interface to other engineering disciplines, production, and mission operations

• Ensure competitiveness through continuous technical innovation and industry expertise

• Manage a detailed schedule to ensure the thermal system development aligns with overall program objectives

• Hire and retain top-tier talent within the Thermal Engineering team

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree or higher in a technical discipline (e.g. engineering, physics) or equivalent experience

• 7+ years of industry experience in a thermal / mechanical engineering role

• 2+ years of industry experience in a people leadership role

• Deep technical understanding of heat transfer physics, thermal control hardware, and electronics packaging.

• Previous aerospace or similar product design and production experience (full product development cycle from concept to operation).

• Exceptional time management skills, verbal & written communication skills, and organizational skills

• A passion for hardware development, including working in a fast-paced environment and doing hands-on design, analysis and testing.

Bonus

• Experience with Thermal Desktop

• Experience with ANSYS Mechanical or ANSYS IcePak

• Experience with Electronics Packaging and Printed Circuit Board (PCB) design

• Experience building and operating high vacuum systems

• Experience designing for a vacuum environment or environments with large temperature swings

What we offer:

All our positions offer a compensation package that includes equity and robust benefits.

Base pay is a single component of Astranis's total rewards package, which may also include equity in the form of incentive stock options, high quality company-subsidized healthcare, disability and life insurance benefits, flexible PTO, 401(K) retirement, and free on-site catered meals.

Astranis pay ranges are informed and defined through professional-grade salary surveys and compensation data sources. The actual base salary offered to a successful candidate will additionally be influenced by a variety of factors including experience, credentials & certifications, educational attainment, skill level requirements, and the level and scope of the position.

Base Salary
$145,000—$180,000 USD

U.S. Citizenship, Lawful Permanent Residency, or Refugee/Asylee Status Required

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

Our mission and our products are meant to connect the world and everyone in it, regardless of gender, race, creed, or any other distinction. We believe in a diverse and inclusive workplace, and we encourage all people to join our team and bring their unique perspective to help make us stronger.