ReOrbit is looking for a Head of Mechanical and Thermal Engineering to lead and direct the Mechanical and Thermal Engineering unit. In this role, you will drive a team responsible for the mechanical and thermal aspects of our spacecraft, overseeing the complete life cycle of structures, mechanisms and thermal control subsystems from initial architectural trade-offs to orbit delivery.

As our Head of Mechanical and Thermal Engineering, you will lead a high performing team of engineers to solve complex thermo mechanical challenges, ensuring our satellites can survive the harsh environments of launch and space. You will act as a key technical authority, driving the engineering of mechanical and thermal subsystems together with the rest of the spacecraft subsystems, balancing mass, volume, and thermal margins against aggressive program timelines.

It's an exciting chance to join a dynamic start-up, with the opportunity to make a real impact, to reach our goal of pushing the boundaries of space data transfer. 

Responsibilities

• Be part of the team defining the mechanical and thermal architecture for next-generation satellite platforms, optimizing for mass, manufacturability (DFM), and integration speed (MAIT).

• Drive technical execution through all major program gates (SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR) and ensure readiness for flight.

• Proactively identify thermo-mechanical risks, including quasi-static analysis issues, thermo elastic problems, and thermal bottlenecks, and implement mitigation plans early in the design cycle.

• Recruit, mentor, and retain a world-class team of mechanical designers, structural analysts, and thermal engineers.

• Manage departmental budgets, software licenses (CAD/FEA), and resource allocation across multiple concurrent missions.

• Standardize engineering workflows, including PDM/PLM implementation, analysis automation, and test data correlation processes.

• Supervise complex Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and thermal analysis campaigns to verify margins of safety for quasi-static, random vibration, shock, and thermo-elastic loads.

• Oversee the definition and execution of qualification campaigns, including vibration, acoustic, shock, and Thermal Vacuum (TVAC) testing.

• Contribute to make vs. buy trade studies and supervise technical relationships with external vendors for composite structures, thermal hardware such as MLI and heat pipes and mechanisms.

Skills and Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Space Engineering oriented on Mechanical Engineering, or Physics is required.

• An advanced degree such as a Master’s or PhD focusing on thermo-mechanical engineering or space systems is preferred.

• More than 10 years of direct experience in the space industry, including satellite, launch vehicle, or lander programs, working with satellites of at least 300 kg mass.

• At least 5 years of experience managing engineering teams with a proven track record of delivering flight hardware on schedule.

• Deep understanding of spacecraft primary and secondary structures, kinematics and mechanisms, and passive and active thermal control systems.

• Proficiency with structural analysis tools such as FEMAP, NASTRAN, ANSYS, or HyperMesh.

• Proficiency with thermal modeling tools such as ANSYS, Thermica, or ESATAN.

• Familiarity with CAD tools including Siemens NX, CATIA, or SolidWorks, and PLM systems such as Teamcenter or Windchill.

• Working knowledge of relevant NASA and ECSS standards.

Working at ReOrbit

At ReOrbit, we are focused on building a strong team as we believe nothing can be accomplished without innovative, humble and curious minds working together on a common goal. We’re all about fostering an inclusive, dynamic environment where equality and diversity are our strength. 

We offer

• Challenging but rewarding environment you will thrive if you are always reflecting on how to make things better. Your ideas will be heard.

• Ambitious and supportive network of people, who are motivated to change the space industry, bringing expertise from both classic and new space. And most importantly a possibility to be a part of a unique and diverse team, connected by similar mindset and sense of humor. 

• We support relocation to Helsinki, and integration into Finnish society. 

What does ReOrbit do?

ReOrbit builds the foundation for the next generation of space applications by transforming satellites into truly intelligent, interconnected platforms, defined by software. Our satellite design philosophy revolves around the idea that satellites must network, communicate with each other and thus improve mission efficiency. How can this be achieved? Thanks to a flexible software-first architecture, where all these aspects are dealt with upfront in the mission concept, as integrated functionalities.

ReOrbit’s top notch team of software engineers and system architects develop inhouse software, procure hardware from the best in class suppliers, and seamlessly integrate the components to create flexible and secure satellites. Today, we are a rapidly growing company building a very strong multidisciplinary team to support our activities. We are headquartered in Helsinki, Finland with subsidiaries in Bristol, UK and Bariloche, Argentina.

Join us in our journey of building software enabled satellites for secure communications and, thus, creating the most compelling in space data flow company of the new space era.

For agencies: We do not accept unsolicited CVs for our open vacancies. Any CV sent to our team unsolicited will reserve us the right to pursue a candidate without obligation to the sender. All candidate submissions must be conducted through our official channels and in accordance with our terms of engagement.