Thermal Structures Engineer

Thermal Structures Engineer – Reditus Space Location: Atlanta, GA Department: Engineering – Structures Employment Type: Full-time Role Overview As a Thermal Structures Engineer, you will play a critical role in supporting the Lead Structures Engineer to ensure the ENOS spacecraft’s structural integrity and thermal resilience from design through flight. Your focus will be on stress analysis, structural verification and validation (V&V), and the design of fixturing and test systems for both qualification and acceptance testing. This is a hands-on, multidisciplinary position requiring close collaboration with design, manufacturing, and test teams to deliver robust, flight-ready hardware. Key Responsibilities

• Perform detailed stress analysis of spacecraft structures and components using both finite element analysis (FEA) tools (e.g., ANSYS, NASTRAN) and classical hand calculations to ensure compliance with strength and stiffness requirements under static, dynamic, and thermal loads.
• Support structural verification and validation activities, including the development and execution of test plans for static, dynamic, vibration, and thermal environments in accordance with industry and NASA standards.
• Design, develop, and document test fixtures and support equipment to enable accurate, flight-like structural and thermal testing of spacecraft hardware.
• Correlate analytical models with test results, identify discrepancies, and drive corrective actions to improve structural performance and reliability.
• Assist in the selection of materials and processes, considering thermal and mechanical properties, manufacturability, and mission environment.
• Prepare and maintain detailed engineering documentation, including analysis reports, test procedures, and verification matrices.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams (thermal, avionics, propulsion, manufacturing) to ensure integrated, high-performance spacecraft designs.
• Support root cause analysis and troubleshooting of structural issues during integration and test campaigns.
• Contribute to a culture of rapid iteration, continuous improvement, and technical excellence.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.
• 1+ years of experience in structural analysis, verification, and testing for aerospace or similarly demanding applications.
• Proficiency with FEA tools (ANSYS, NASTRAN, Abaqus, or similar) and 3D CAD software (NX, SolidWorks, or equivalent).
• Hands-on experience designing and building test fixtures and support equipment for structural and thermal testing.
• Strong understanding of metallic and composite materials, joining methods, and spaceflight hardware test requirements.
• Experience with designing for reusability (design-life, thermal fatigue, and load cycles)
• Familiarity with industry standards for structural and thermal qualification and acceptance testing (e.g., NASA-STD-7002B).
• Excellent communication, documentation, and teamwork skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with reusable spacecraft or launch vehicle structural verification and validation.
• Hands-on experience with rapid prototyping and hardware iteration.
• Familiarity with spacecraft environmental testing (thermal vacuum, vibration, acoustic).
• Demonstrated ability to innovate and solve multidisciplinary engineering challenges.
• Experience supporting integrated test campaigns and launch site operations.

What We Offer

• The opportunity to build and fly hardware that will transform the future of space manufacturing.
• A hands-on, high-impact engineering culture with rapid iteration, real responsibility, and minimal red tape.
• Competitive salary and equity package with generous healthcare benefits.
• The chance to work alongside some of the best engineers in the industry on high-impact problems.
• An open, non-hierarchical environment where talent, drive, and results matter most.

Reditus Space is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. If you’re passionate about spacecraft structural analysis, verification, and hands-on test engineering, apply now to join Reditus Space and help build the future of space.