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Lead Aerospace HVAC Engineer

Actalent

Fort Worth, TXContract$50–55/hrSeen todaySeen in employer's feed today

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At a glance

Compensation
$50–55/hr
Location
Fort Worth, TX
Schedule
Contract
Work Authorization
US work authorization required

Olive lists jobs from US employers, including remote roles you can work from the United States.

Requirements

Credentials this posting asks for.

Bachelor's degree, required

Job overview

The Lead Aerospace HVAC Engineer guides development of helicopter air conditioning systems from concept through FAA certification and leads new product development. The role manages two design engineers and works with OEMs, suppliers, manufacturing personnel, and certification authorities. It is a contract-to-hire position based onsite in Fort Worth, Texas, focused on system design, analysis, testing, certification, and transition to production.

Skills & qualifications

RequiredNice to have

Skills

HVAC Systems, requiredR134a Refrigeration, requiredFAA Part 27 or 29, requiredAerospace Engineering, requiredThermodynamics, requiredCAD, requiredDO-160 Testing, requiredHeat Transfer, nice to haveRefrigeration Cycles, nice to haveAirflow Analysis, nice to haveMechanical System Integration, nice to haveSolidWorks, nice to haveCreo, nice to haveCATIA, nice to haveEngineering Drawings, nice to haveManufacturing Documentation, nice to haveTeam Leadership, nice to haveCommunication, nice to haveProject Leadership, nice to have

Qualifications

Bachelor's in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering or Related Field, nice to have10+ Years Engineering Experience, nice to have5+ Years HVAC or Refrigeration Design Experience, nice to haveAerospace or Rotorcraft Product Development Experience, nice to haveU.S. Person Status, required

Benefits

Medical Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
401(k) Match
Paid Time Off

Full job description

Job Title: Lead Aerospace HVAC EngineerJob Description

We are seeking a skilled Lead Aerospace HVAC Engineer to guide the engineering development of helicopter air conditioning systems from concept through FAA certification. This position offers the opportunity to lead new product development in a dynamic and innovative environment.

Responsibilities

  • Manage and mentor a team of two design engineers.

  • Develop system architectures, performance requirements, and engineering schedules.

  • Design and integrate vapor-cycle refrigeration systems, R134a HVAC systems, compressor systems, condensers and evaporators, expansion devices, environmental control systems, and cabin cooling systems.

  • Perform thermal, airflow, and refrigeration cycle analysis.

  • Develop engineering calculations, design reports, and certification documentation.

  • Coordinate with helicopter OEMs, suppliers, manufacturing personnel, and certification authorities.

  • Conduct design reviews and technical risk assessments.

  • Support qualification testing, vibration testing, environmental testing, and flight test activities.

  • Generate and review engineering drawings, Bills of Material (BOMs), test procedures, compliance reports, installation instructions, and continued airworthiness documentation.

  • Ensure compliance with applicable FAA regulations and aerospace standards.

  • Support transition from prototype development to production.

Essential Skills

  • Proficiency in HVAC and R134a refrigeration systems.

  • Experience with FAA Part 27 or 29 regulations.

  • Strong knowledge in Aerospace Engineering, Thermodynamics, and CAD.

  • Experience with DO-160 environmental qualification testing.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

  • Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related field.

  • 10+ years of engineering experience.

  • 5+ years of experience designing HVAC or refrigeration systems.

  • Demonstrated experience with R134a refrigeration systems.

  • Experience leading engineering teams or major aerospace development programs.

  • Experience developing products for aerospace, rotorcraft, or aircraft applications.

  • Strong understanding of thermodynamics, heat transfer, refrigeration cycles, airflow analysis, and mechanical system integration.

  • Proficiency with 3D CAD tools such as SolidWorks, Creo, and CATIA.

  • Experience creating engineering drawings and manufacturing documentation.

  • Strong communication and project leadership skills.

  • U.S. Person status required due to aerospace industry regulations.

Work Environment

This position is based on-site at a facility in North Fort Worth, providing a collaborative and technologically advanced work environment.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Fort Worth, TX.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $50.00 - $55.00/hr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: Medical, dental & vision Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital 401(k) Retirement Plan Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) Short and long-term disability Health Spending Account (HSA) Transportation benefits Employee Assistance Program Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Fort Worth, TX.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Nov 25, 2026.

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Fort Worth,TX.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email [email protected] for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.

How this job compares

Set against the 792 open Aerospace Engineer jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 12, 2026.

Pay
  • This posting$50–55/hr
  • US median$55–68/hr42 hourly ranges

This range's midpoint, $52.50/hr, is 15% below the US median midpoint ($62/hr) — in the lowest quarter of Aerospace Engineer hourly ranges across the US.

Openings
Olive Jobs lists 66 open Aerospace Engineer jobs in Texas and 792 across the US. 2% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
Hiring the most in Texas
Experience
This posting asks for at least 10 years of experience — more than three in four Aerospace Engineer postings that state a minimum ask for (median 5 years, across 686 postings).
Education
This posting asks for a bachelor's degree; 425 of the 792 open Aerospace Engineer jobs (54%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.

Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 12, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.

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