Thermal Engineer at Xona Space Systems Inc – Burlingame, California

Xona is building the next generation of satellite navigation — a high-performance, resilient alternative to GPS powered by a commercial constellation of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites. We are on a mission to unlock a new era of autonomy, advanced mobility, and infrastructure resilience by delivering precise, secure, and robust positioning services to the world.

We're not here to incrementally improve GNSS. We're here to redefine it from the ground up.

We're looking for a Thermal Engineer to join our satellite engineering team. You'll own the development and validation of the thermal system that keeps our spacecraft and payloads alive and within spec throughout their missions. This role spans thermal design, modeling, and testing, and is integral to ensuring Xona's spacecraft operate reliably in the harsh environment of space.

You'll work closely with the mechanical, payload, and power teams to ensure proper thermal control across all mission phases—from launch to LEO.

What You'll Do:

• Design and implement passive and active thermal control solutions (radiators, coatings, MLI, heaters, etc.)
• Develop and maintain thermal models to support concept development, detailed design, and verification
• Simulate orbital thermal environments and perform worst-case temperature analyses
• Lead and support thermal testing campaigns, including thermal vacuum (TVAC) and thermal cycling tests
• Collaborate to define thermal requirements and margins across subsystems
• Work with mechanical and integration teams to define hardware layout and thermal interfaces
• Prepare documentation and analysis to support reviews and customer deliverables

• B.S. or M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related discipline
• 2–5 years of experience in thermal design and analysis, ideally in the aerospace or satellite industry
• Proficiency with thermal modeling tools (e.g., Thermal Desktop, SINDA/FLUINT, ESATAN, or similar)
• Familiarity with space thermal environments and heat transfer principles (conduction, radiation, etc.)
• Experience designing and testing thermal hardware (heaters, insulation, thermistors, etc.)
• Hands-on mindset, able to transition between analysis and real hardware
• To comply with U.S. Government space technology export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the United States (i.e. Green Card holder), or other protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3).

Desired Qualifications

• Experience with satellite mission thermal modeling and on-orbit operations
• Familiarity with CAD and FEA tools (SolidWorks, ANSYS, COMSOL, etc.)