Software Engineer (Thermal & Fluid Analysis)

spacex

Starbase, TX · Starbase · United States

Posted May 22, 2026

Other
Starship Analysis

Job description

SpaceX was founded under the belief that a future where humanity is out exploring the stars is fundamentally more exciting than one where we are not. Today SpaceX is actively developing the technologies to make this possible, with the ultimate goal of enabling human life on Mars.

SOFTWARE ENGINEER (THERMAL & FLUID ANALYSIS)

The Thermal & Fluid Analysis team supports the design and testing of Starship’s thermal and fluids systems. These include active and passive thermal control, propellant feed systems, gas systems, thermal protection, and in-space propellant management among many other subsystems. These systems must perform reliably in extreme environments from launch to recovery. In this role, you will develop software tools to support analysis, improve design processes, automate workflows, and subsequently deploy the new software/workflows to the analysis and engineering community. Your work will enable making informed decisions more quickly and thus reducing the time required to realize a self-sustaining colony on Mars.

This role requires strong software development skills and an interest in simulation, thermal design, and fluid systems. Experience with thermal & fluid system modeling technique and simulation is a major plus.

RESPONSIBILITIES:
• Design software and workflows that improve mission critical analysis throughput
• Build infrastructure to support thermal and fluid systems analysis
• Automate analysis workflows to speed up mission and design iteration
• Support simulation and validation with test and flight data
• Collaborate with engineers to improve reliability and performance of spacecraft systems
• Write clean, scalable code and maintain strong documentation

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:
• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, engineering, physics, mathematics, or a related field
• 1+ years of experience coding in Python, JavaScript, and/or Rust (including internship or academic experience)

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:
• Familiarity with thermal or fluid systems in spacecraft or aerospace applications
• Strong background in Python and data processing
• Experience automating engineering workflows or simulations
• Knowledge of and/or experience in MATLAB, C/C++, Git, Thermal Desktop, ANSYS Workbench, Siemens STAR-CCM+
• Understanding of thermal/fluid networks (0-D or 1-D modeling)
• Excellent communication and documentation skills
• Interest in making engineering tools easier to use and more scalable
• Familiarity with high performance computing

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

Must be willing to work extended hours and/or weekends as needed

ITAR REQUIREMENTS:

To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.

SpaceX is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with SpaceX is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

Applicants wishing to view a copy of SpaceX’s Affirmative Action Plan for veterans and individuals with disabilities, or applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to the application/interview process should reach out to EEOCompliance@spacex.com.