Thermal Protection Systems Engineer II

Bachelor’s degree or higher in Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related field.
2+ years of experience with TPS material development, composite materials, or high-temperature aerospace materials and processes.
Working knowledge of TPS material systems such as ablatives, ceramics, ceramic matrix composites, insulators, and/or coatings.
Experience with material characterization and laboratory testing (thermal analysis, TGA/DSC, SEM, etc.).
Hands-on experience with process development, scale-up, and manufacturing of aerospace materials.
Ability to interpret engineering drawings, material specifications, and process documentation.
Proficiency with data analysis tools (e.g., MATLAB, Python, Excel) for experimental results interpretation.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to work collaboratively in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment.
Must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum.
Ability to earn trust, maintain positive and professional relationships, and contribute to a culture of inclusion.

Design, develop, and qualify advanced Thermal Protection System (TPS) materials for reusable launch vehicles and spacecraft.
Collaborate cross-functionally with design, structures, manufacturing, and test teams to optimize TPS materials and processes for manufacturability, performance, and cost.
Lead material characterization, process development, and qualification activities for ablative, insulative, and reusable TPS materials.
Author and execute test plans for material property validation, including thermal, mechanical, and environmental testing.
Support root-cause analysis and resolution of technical challenges related to TPS material failures or process deviations.
Generate material specifications, process documentation, and support configuration management for flight products.
Interface with suppliers for raw material selection, processing methods, and quality assurance.
Stay current with advancements in TPS technologies and aerospace materials, recommending improvements and new technologies as appropriate.
Present technical results, risks, and recommendations to internal stakeholders and external customers.

Knowledge of manufacturing, assembly, integration, and qualification testing of spacecraft TPS elements.
Experience with extreme environments materials development.
Experience specifying and justifying thermal margins and test sequences for aerospace materials systems.
Demonstrated track record in the full lifecycle management of TPS components and subsystems within Aerospace or a related field.
Experience in component modeling and thermal analysis.