Job Description

Senior Manager of Thermal Control Systems

Torrance, CA – Relocation Assistance Provided

The Company

Our client’s mission is to expand humanity’s frontier into the solar system and beyond. The next step on this journey is to enable manufacturing and habitation in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). Our client’s plan to make this a reality is to build artificial gravity space stations.

The Job

Our client is looking for a Senior Manager of Thermal Control Systems to lead the development of the thermal and fluid systems that enable artificial gravity and long-term human habitation in space. In this role, you will guide a small team of mechanical engineers while also contributing directly to system architecture, design, and test. You will shape mission-critical hardware that must operate flawlessly in orbit and play a key role in advancing human-rated spaceflight.

Functions

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead and mentor a team of mechanical engineers responsible for thermal and fluid system hardware.
• Set technical direction, prioritize development efforts, and foster a culture of ownership and continuous improvement.
• Provide guidance on design decisions, analyses, and test plans, ensuring high-quality engineering outputs.
• Manage workloads, support professional development, and ensure on-time execution of deliverables.

Technical Ownership

• Own the architecture and performance of thermal control system hardware, including tubing, trays, and fluid loops.
• Lead hardware through its full lifecycle—from design trades through manufacturing, qualification, launch prep, and on-orbit operation.
• Drive rapid prototyping and iterative testing to mature designs in a fast-paced environment.
• Oversee systems engineering tasks, including analyses, requirements, and cross-team integration (i.e. Avionics, Software, Mission Operations, etc.)
• Lead internal and external design reviews and ensure hardware meets human-rated reliability and safety requirements.
• Ensure manufacturable, production-ready designs and collaborate closely with technicians, manufacturing engineers, and integration teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or related discipline
• Experience working with fluid systems
• 5+ years of hands-on hardware experience (fabrication, assembly, and/or testing)
• 1+ year leading or mentoring engineers

Preferred Skills

• Leadership experience in a fast-paced hardware development environment
• Ownership of mechanical or fluid systems across multiple development phases
• Strong problem-solving and root-cause analysis skills
• First-principles engineering and ability to guide team-level trade studies
• Experience with rotating machinery
• Proficiency in NX, GD&T, and tolerance analysis
• Structural analysis experience (hand calcs, FEMAP, ANSYS)
• Familiarity with machining, welding, brazing, and tube bending
• Excellent communication and leadership skills in a mission-driven environment