Sr. Thermal Design Engineer
- US citizenship
How this pay compares
This posting states $159k–$215k a year. Open mechanical engineer jobs in Washington post a median of $160k a year, the middle half $133k–$177k, across 54 jobs that state their pay, so this one is above the middle half of what they post.
Mechanical engineers in Washington: pay by town and employer
About the job
Amazon Leo is Amazon's low Earth orbit satellite network. Our mission is to deliver fast, reliable internet connectivity to customers beyond the reach of existing networks. From individual households to schools, hospitals, businesses, and government agencies, Amazon Leo will serve people and organizations operating in locations without reliable connectivity.
Export Control Requirement: Due to applicable export control laws and regulations, candidates must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (i.e., current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum. We are looking for a Sr.
Thermal Design Engineer who combines strong technical, research and analytical capabilities with a demonstrated ability to get the right work done quickly and effectively. The successful candidate must have experience working on active thermal control of space vehicles, producing top notch thermal analysis and providing essential thermal related input and recommendations to system architects and subsystem leads.
Key job responsibilities - Support extensive architectural trades with preliminary thermal analysis on spacecraft and subsystems for orbital operational conditions and vehicle control options. - Perform detailed and comprehensive analyses of active thermal control systems, including all required hardware and corresponding tradeoffs. - Drive design optimization for performance, mass and cost, while meeting system reliability requirements through application of a range of thermal control hardware options. - Define, lead and execute thermal cycling and thermal vacuum tests for development and qualification testing at subsystem and vehicle levels. - Support the procurement department in sourcing strategy for all required components. - Define and select test equipment as needed (e.g., TVAC and thermal chambers, sensors, data logging equipment). - Conduct testing of prototypes and engineering models for fast design feedback loops. - Develop and execute reliability plan for demonstration of lifetime of active components. - Document trades and design evolution, and present results during design reviews. ## Basic qualifications - Experience in developing functional specifications, design verification plans and functional test procedures - 5+ years experience with thermal control of spacecraft, and delivering solutions optimized for mass, cost, reliability, performance, and manufacturability.
3+ years of experience with thermal simulation software (e.g., Thermal Desktop (SINDA), Ansys), and programming (e.g., python, Matlab). 3+ years experience with test planning, test set-up, results correlation and system verification for production.
3+ years experience in development and/or selection of passive and active thermal control hardware. ## Preferred qualifications - Master's degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or equivalent - Experience working with interdisciplinary teams to execute product design from concept to production - Experience with the project management of technical projects - Advanced degree (Master’s or PhD) in mechanical engineering or related field.
Experience developing hardware and spacecraft that have been to space, and which successfully operated as intended. Developing spacecraft thermal solutions for high power flux components . CAD skills (NX or Solidworks) Experience with interpreting and correlating data from on–orbit telemetry.
Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status. Our inclusive culture empowers Amazonians to deliver the best results for our customers.
If you have a disability and need a workplace accommodation or adjustment during the application and hiring process, including support for the interview or onboarding process, please visit https://amazon.jobs/content/en/how-we-hire/accommodations for more information. If the country/region you’re applying in isn’t listed, please contact your Recruiting Partner. The base salary range for this position is listed below.
Your Amazon package will include sign-on payments and restricted stock units (RSUs). Final compensation will be determined based on factors including experience, qualifications, and location.
Amazon also offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance (medical, dental, vision, prescription, Basic Life & AD&D insurance and option for Supplemental life plans, EAP, Mental Health Support, Medical Advice Line, Flexible Spending Accounts, Adoption and Surrogacy Reimbursement coverage), 401(k) matching, paid time off, and parental leave. Learn more about our benefits at https://amazon.jobs/en/benefits .
USA, WA, Redmond - 159,200.00 - 215,300.00 USD annually
From Amazon Leo's job posting, checked 7 Nov 2026. The employer's own page is the final word on requirements and availability.
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About Amazon Leo
Amazon's satellite internet constellation, formerly Project Kuiper: satellites, launches, ground stations and the terminals customers use.
Pay on its listings: 93.1% of its open jobs state an hourly rate
How it pays: Paid as an employee on Amazon's own payroll (salaried or hourly, as each posting states).
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