Aersopace Structures and Thermal Engineer

Helogen

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Austin, United States Full-time Posted 3mo ago

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About Helogen

The next great industrial revolution will not happen on Earth.

For the first time in history, humanity has the ability to build factories beyond our planet. The research, testing, and manufacturing conducted in these environments will unlock breakthroughs in medicine, materials, energy, computing, and technologies that cannot be achieved under Earth's gravity.

Helogen is building the infrastructure that makes this future possible.

Our mission is to transform space from a distant realm we explore into an accessible world where industry operates. We are developing the manufacturing platforms, autonomous systems, logistics networks, and operational infrastructure required to power commercial production in space at scale. We believe innovations in space will define the next century of technological progress.

We're looking for leaders who want to build these systems from the ground up. This is an opportunity to help create an entirely new industrial category, assemble a world-class team, shape the future of manufacturing beyond Earth, and accelerate scientific and technological advances that can improve life on Earth.

The Role:

Helogen is seeking an Aerospace Structures & Thermal Engineer in Austin, Texas to design, develop, and deliver the structures, thermal systems, and flight hardware that enable our vehicles to perform in demanding aerospace environments. You'll be joining a small team of high-caliber engineers, scientists, and operators united by the belief that the microgravity environment of space represents one of the greatest untapped opportunities in the history of medicine and industry.

As our Aerospace Structures & Thermal Engineer, you'll design and test aerospace vehicles that can withstand the extreme environments of space. You’ll guide structural and thermal analyses from early concept through flight operations. You’ll optimize materials for flight, develop high-temperature systems, and support testing and qualification efforts that ensure our systems meet performance, reliability, and mission requirements.

This role is ideal for a hands-on engineer who has real experience testing and breaking hardware, learning from failures, and iterating toward better solutions. We're looking for a builder who understands manufacturing constraints, can evaluate complex tradeoffs, make sound technical decisions, and has seen flight hardware through to deployment. As an early member of the engineering team, you'll have real ownership over your work and a direct hand in shaping the systems that will power Helogen's future.

How You’ll Make An Impact:

Design, develop, and deliver aerospace structures, thermal systems, and flight hardware for advanced spaceflight programs
Own structural and thermal analyses throughout the development lifecycle, from concept generation through flight operations
Develop and evaluate vehicle architectures, material selections, and design trades that balance performance, mass, manufacturability, reliability, and cost
Perform structural sizing, stress analysis, thermal modeling, and margin assessments for flight hardware
Support the development of high-temperature systems, thermal protection approaches, thermal management solutions, and advanced material applications
Design components, assemblies, mechanisms, and integrated vehicle structures using modern engineering design tools
Develop qualification, environmental, thermal, vibration, and structural test plans and support test execution
Work closely with systems, avionics, software, GNC, manufacturing, and mission operations teams to deliver integrated vehicle solutions
Support supplier selection, manufacturing oversight, hardware integration, and production planning activities
Participate in design reviews, technical decision-making, anomaly investigations, and post-flight assessments
Contribute to engineering processes, design standards, and future vehicle development efforts

What We're Looking For:

Requirements:
- Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical discipline
- Hands-on experience developing aerospace structures, thermal systems, mechanical hardware, or other complex engineering systems
- Strong understanding of structural mechanics, thermodynamics, heat transfer, materials science, and aerospace design fundamentals
- Technical depth; you’ve performed engineering analyses and supported hardware through design, manufacturing, integration, testing, and qualification
- Comfortable speaking about manufacturing constraints, failure modes, and design tradeoffs from direct hardware experience
- Proficiency with finite element analysis tools such as Nastran, Abaqus, ANSYS, or equivalent engineering software
- Strong first-principles engineering and problem-solving skills
- Sound engineering judgment and the ability to make confident decisions with incomplete information
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills
- Demonstrated ownership of technical projects from concept through implementation

Nice to have:
- Background in spacecraft, launch vehicles, reentry systems, missiles, or other high-performance aerospace platforms
- Understanding of thermal protection systems, high-temperature materials, or extreme environment thermal management
- Familiarity with composite structures, lightweight structures, or bonded assemblies and designing for manufacturability in aerospace or other tightly constrained production environments
- Experience with structural dynamics, vibration, shock, and environmental testing through flight qualification and hardware certification
- Prior work in rapid prototyping, iterative hardware development, and test-driven design cycles
- Startup or fast-paced engineering environment experience
- Experience taking flight systems from concept through deployment

Compensation:

The salary range for this position is $150,000-$180,000 with equity offered. Qualified candidates must be based in Austin, Texas or willing to relocate there.

Benefits:

Build alongside a founding team of visionaries and investors from NASA, Blue Origin, MIT Lincoln Lab, and the ISS
Unlimited PTO
Health, dental, vision and life insurance
401(k) program
Membership to OneMedical
Be part of creating something new that will change the world

Export Control Requirements

Due to the nature of the work performed, applicants must be a U.S. Person as defined by U.S.* export control regulations or otherwise eligible to access export-controlled information and technology.

*U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident, or protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3) (i.e., individual admitted to the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum in the U.S.)