Future Projects Thermal Engineer

Here at The Exploration Company, we are building innovative aerospace technologies that advance the future of space transportation.

We are seeking a talented Thermal Engineer to help us in our mission by contributing to the development of our future projects. As a Thermal Systems Engineer, you will oversee the thermal architecture, sizing and analysis of a variety of new projects. You will work closely with our mechanical, CAD, and system engineers to assess feasibility and preliminary sizing of the thermal systems of our future vehicles.

Key Responsibilities

In your capacity as a Thermal Engineer, your role will be continuously evolving, but day-to-day your duties will include:

• Designing conceptual and preliminary thermal control systems for new space systems, tailored to project maturity and goals

• Providing technical solutions to optimise thermal management, in collaboration with other subsystems (propulsion, avionics, ECLSS…)

• Perform preliminary thermal analyses to justify the design decisions

• Effectively communicating and providing recommendations through analyses, reviews, documentation and presentation of technical data

• Supporting spacecraft development from concept to operations, including feasibility studies, trade-off analyses, requirements review, system design, and documentation for major development milestones

• Managing procurement, request for proposals, supplier evaluation and selection, testing and validation of thermal hardware

• Providing operational analysis and support, including post-flight analyses

What We Would Love to See from You

In the role of Future Project Thermal Engineer ideally, you will have the following:

• Education: Master’s or PhD degree in Aerospace Engineering, Heat transfer and Fluid mechanics, or another related field.

• Technical skills: Thermal analysis, Thermal management of typical spacecraft subsystems (structures, avionics, propulsion), and understanding of spacecraft thermal environments

• Experience: Proven experience (3+ years) with (Active) Thermal Control System development and procurement, hands-on experience with Thermal Testing, including Thermal Cycling, Thermal Vacuum and Thermal Balance tests

• Programming Skills: Proficiency with thermal software (Thermal Desktop, ESATAN), and in programming and data analysis (e.g., Python, MATLAB, C++).

• Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to convey technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.

• Feedback: Willingness to give proactive and mindful feedback across all company levels.

• Mindset: Passion for advancing sustainability in the space industry and highly motivated to work in a fast paced, autonomously driven, and demanding start-up environment.

• Languages: Fluent in English.

Why you should join us!

What makes us special here at The Exploration Company and why we think you will enjoy working here is:

• We’re Agile - we make decisions fast whilst keeping our goals and systems in mind

• We’re Open and Collaborative - we are transparent about risks and obstacles, so that we can cooperate to overcome them

• We have a lot of Fun - we refuel our energy knowing we are democratising space. It’s a wonderful and rare opportunity, are YOU up for the challenge?

We'd love to hear from you if you wish to be a part of our journey. Please submit your CV now for immediate consideration and we will be in touch shortly.

The Exploration Company is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability status. Relocation assistance is provided for those willing to relocate including visa sponsorship where applicable.


All offers are contingent upon the successful completion of a background check, which will be subject to the country, role, and project you applied for. By submitting your application, you acknowledge and agree that any offer of employment may be conditional upon successful condition of this check. The Exploration Company partners with Zinc Work Limited located in the UK (Zinc), a third-party provider, to ensure this process as efficient and transparent as possible.

If applicable, you will receive an email from Zinc upon acceptance of your offer with a link to a secure portal where you can provide the required information to Zinc.