Senior Thermal Structural Analysis Engineer Verified today

Portal Space Systems · Bothell, WA · Mechanical · first seen 2026-07-30

Develop and maintain coupled thermal-structural finite element models for spacecraft hardware operating in elevated-temperature environments
Perform thermo-mechanical stress, distortion, fatigue, and margin of safety analyses driven by thermal gradients and transient heating
Evaluate high-temperature material behavior and structural performance using analysis and first-principles hand calculations
Partner with propulsion, thermal, and design teams to validate and optimize structural designs for strength, stiffness, weight, and thermal durability
Support structural verification of propulsion-adjacent and thermally driven hardware through qualification and flight readiness
Define, execute, and interpret elevated-temperature material strength testing to characterize mechanical properties and support thermo-mechanical structural verification

Define and support elevated-temperature material and structural test campaigns to characterize thermo-mechanical behavior
Correlate analytical predictions with high-temperature test data and resolve discrepancies using first-principles reasoning
Develop Python-based tools to automate coupled analysis post-processing, reporting, and verification workflows
Contribute to documentation of thermal-structural assumptions, methods, and verification rationale

2-5 years of experience in thermal-structural or thermo-mechanical analysis for aerospace systems
Strong ability to perform coupled thermal-structural analysis for spacecraft hardware in elevated-temperature environments
Deep understanding of thermal gradient-driven stress, distortion, and failure mechanisms
Proficiency developing and maintaining coupled thermal-structural FEMs using FEMAP/Nastran or Siemens Simcenter 3D
Experience evaluating elevated-temperature material behavior and structural performance
Experience supporting propulsion or thruster-adjacent hardware operating in high-temperature environments
Ability to model, interpret, and validate high-temperature material behavior within structural analyses
Proficiency with first-principles hand calculations to bound and verify coupled FEM results
Ability to correlate thermo-mechanical analysis with high-temperature test data and resolve discrepancies
Proficiency with Python and/or MATLAB for analysis automation, data reduction, and reporting
Experience using version control systems such as Git in an engineering analysis environment
Clear technical communication skills for documenting assumptions, methods, and verification rationale
BS or MS in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related engineering discipline