Thermal / Structural Modeling Engineer (Space Optics)

Cosmic Frontier’s mission is to dramatically expand access to high performance space telescopes, democratize the scientific process, and build tools for exploring the Universe.

Cosmic Frontier team members own the full lifecycle of spaceflight hardware and software, from early architecture through flight. We build and fly real hardware. The systems you build will go to orbit within the next two years.

Role Description:

Cosmic Frontier is building a new generation of space telescopes. We are looking for an engineer to own the thermal and structural analysis that determines whether our hardware merely survives, or actually performs.

This role will help drive key parts of our structural-thermal-optical performance (STOP) workflow. You will build and apply models that predict how the telescope responds to launch, thermal transients, and the on-orbit environment, and translate those results into design decisions that improve stability, margin, and optical performance.

This is not analysis for its own sake. The point is to help us build hardware that holds alignment, maintains stability, and works the way we intend when it matters.

What you’ll do:

● Build structural, thermal, and coupled thermo-structural models of telescope assemblies and subsystems

● Help own portions of the STOP workflow, translating predicted thermal and mechanical behavior into implications for alignment, stability, and optical performance

● Analyze stress, stiffness, deformation, stability, and margin under launch, ground test, and on-orbit environments

● Identify the dominant drivers of thermoelastic drift, deformation, and instability, and propose practical mitigations with quantified impact

● Define assumptions, sensitivities, margins, and uncertainty clearly, and help the team distinguish what is known from what is inferred

● Correlate models to hardware test data from vibration, thermal vacuum, and related environmental campaigns

● Work closely with mechanical, optical, systems, and test engineers to close the loop between analysis and hardware

What success looks like in the first 90 days:

● Deliver a first-pass coupled model that resolves the highest-priority open questions in the current design

● Define a model correlation plan, including the instrumentation and data we need to collect during TVAC and vibration testing

● Identify the top structural and thermal stability drivers and recommend concrete mitigations with estimated impact

● Establish a credible path for maturing the model as the design and test data evolve

Required qualifications:

● BS, MS, or PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field

● 3 years of experience in structural, thermal, or coupled thermo-structural analysis for aerospace, space, or other precision hardware

● Strong hands-on experience building and running FEA models for mechanical and thermal environments using tools such as ANSYS, Nastran, Abaqus, or equivalent

● Deep understanding of thermoelastic stability, structural margins, deformation, and environmental loading including vibration and thermal vacuum

● Proven ability to correlate models to test data and use analysis results to drive concrete engineering decisions

● Strong engineering judgment and comfort working in an environment where speed, ambiguity, and rigor all matter

Desired qualifications:

● Experience with opto-mechanical systems, telescopes, instruments, or other high-precision hardware

● Experience with STOP or adjacent workflows where structural and thermal behavior materially affect optical or pointing performance

● Experience supporting environmental test campaigns such as vibration and TVAC

● Familiarity with line-of-sight stability, alignment stability, focus drift, or related precision performance metrics

● Comfort operating in a fast-paced, high-ownership startup environment

Why this role matters:

The difference between a telescope that survives and a telescope that delivers is often hidden in thermal distortion, structural compliance, stability margins, and the quality of the assumptions behind the models. Your work will help us make better decisions earlier, test more intelligently, and build hardware we can trust.

Benefits:

Unlimited PTO, sick leave, parental leave, bereavement leave. Medical, dental, vision, reproductive healthcare, HSA/FSA, life and disability insurance, One Medical. 401(k), education benefits, cell phone and Wi-Fi reimbursement, one-time work-from- home stipend, commuter benefits, wellness programs.

Export control:

Due to the nature of the products and information handled in this role, employment is restricted to U.S. Persons as defined by U.S. export control laws.

Diversity and Inclusion:

We encourage anyone who is excited about this role to apply, even if you don’t meet 100% of the qualifications. We value builders with strong judgment, high ownership, and a track record of making complex systems work in the real world. Recruiting, hiring, mentoring, and retaining a diverse workforce is critical to our success. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran. Cosmic Frontier Labs is a Program and Operating Division of the Renaissance Philanthropy Fund. Renaissance Philanthropy is an equal-opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

** Salary range will depend on level of candidate hired (seeking L4/L5 preferably)