Vast is looking for a Thermal Control Systems Senior Mechanical Engineer , reporting to the Manager, Thermal Control Hardware to support the development of the systems that will be required for the design and build of artificial-gravity human-rated space stations.
This will be a full-time , exempt position located in our Long Beach, CA location.
- Own the design and development of thermal control system and components for our artificial-gravity space station, from initial design trades to fully functional and validated system
- Possible thermal components include heat exchangers, cold plates, heaters, heat pipes, etc…
- Iterate on manufacturing processes and development testing in a fast-paced environment
- Own the project delivery timeline from early design through production, launch, and orbit insertion
- Lead design reviews internally and externally with suppliers and customers
- Work with interdisciplinary stakeholders to ensure the component will integrate with the necessary avionics, software, and mission operations systems
- Make sure that all designs are manufacturable and reliable
- Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering or other engineering discipline
- 5+ years of hands-on hardware experience performing fabrication, assembly and/or testing
- 4+ years of experience working with fluid systems or components
- Demonstrated ability to own hardware or systems within an integrated engineering team outside a classroom setting
- 4+ years of hands-on hardware experience performing fabrication, assembly and/or testing
- Proactive problem-solving skills such as failure analysis, root cause investigation, and design of experiment creation
- Ability to perform trade studies using first principles and engineering fundamentals to make clear recommendations even with partial information
- Solid understanding and application of geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) and tolerance stack-up analysis
- Experience with structural analysis methods (hand calcs, FEMAP, ANSYS) in order to optimize hardware to strength requirements as well as to evaluate for life and fracture
- Knowledge of metallic and fluid system manufacturing techniques, processes, equipment, and other processes such as machining, welding, brazing, tube bending, etc.
- Able to work well in an integrated collaborative team environment, including frequent interactions with technicians, other engineers, and managers
- Highly self-motivated with strong organizational and written/oral communication skills – able to prioritize and execute tasks in a high-pressure environment with the ongoing drive for continuous improvement in all aspects of work