Thermal Engineer - Spaceborne Instruments

About the role

Simera Sense provides Earth observation camera solutions for the global small satellite market. It is looking for a Thermal Engineer to join its development team, supporting the design, analysis and verification of spaceborne instruments and electronic systems. The engineer works with multidisciplinary teams to create thermal solutions that ensure mission success in the space environment. The position is full time, based in Somerset West, South Africa, and reports to the Lead Optomechanical Engineer.

Key responsibilities

• Design, simulate and test thermal solutions for electro-optical imaging systems used in spaceborne applications such as CubeSats
• Work with structural, electrical, optical and mechanical engineers to ensure integrated system performance, and provide technical support during mission development and operations
• Develop and optimise thermal designs for spacecraft, launch vehicles and related hardware, and perform trade-off studies
• Create and maintain thermal models using numerical solutions and hand calculations to predict temperature margins
• Define mission environments and thermal requirements, and design and integrate active and passive thermal control solutions
• Develop and run thermal verification test plans, automate test procedures and take part in spacecraft build and testing campaigns
• Produce technical reports, feed into specifications and present results internally and externally

Required profile

• Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Thermal Engineering or a related field
• At least 1 year of experience in thermal design and analysis, or mechanical design and analysis (finite element modelling)
• Experience in hands-on thermal testing and validation against real-world data
• Ability to manage thermal projects from concept through to production and operation
• Experience working with multidisciplinary teams

Required skills

• Thermal analysis software proficiency
• Strong understanding of radiation, conduction and convection heat transfer in space environments
• Working knowledge of scripting languages such as Python for automation
• Advantageous: experience with optomechanical/thermal systems for spaceborne applications, and knowledge of Siemens Teamcenter and NX software

What we offer

• The chance to work in the fast-growing space industry
• A niche global market for optical payloads for microsatellites
• Cutting-edge technology
• A competitive salary and a friendly working environment