Thermal Engineer (Avionics & PCBs)
Core
Own thermal design and analysis of avionics components, including PCBAs, COTS electronic devices, and custom enclosures to manage junction temperatures and optimize thermal performance under mission-relevant conditions.
Role type
Thermal Engineer (Avionics & PCBs)
Builds
Scalable, decentralized defense systems and autonomous defense platforms
Domain
Defense technology / Avionics / Electronics
Deliverable
production ML models | product features
Required skills
Electronics/PCB thermal analysis, Conduction and radiation-dominated heat transfer, Transient thermal behavior, Thermal simulation tools (Icepak, Fluent, Thermal Desktop), Thermal testing and validation, Cross-functional collaboration
Preferred skills
PCB layout optimization for thermal performance, Avionics or embedded electronics thermal design, High power-density or transient thermal loads, Heat sink design, High altitude or space systems, Chassis/enclosure integration in low-convection environments, Custom analysis tools (Python/MATLAB)
Technologies
Icepak, Fluent, Thermal Desktop, Python, MATLAB
Responsibilities
Predict and manage junction temperatures, heat spreading, coldspots, and hotspots; Provide guidance on component placement, stackups, copper, and via strategies; Design conduction paths and interfaces (PCB → chassis, TIMs, contact resistances); Plan and execute board-level thermal testing and model correlation
Seniority
Mid-Senior, hands-on IC