Thermo-Mechanical Engineer

YOUR (SPACE) MISSION As the Thermo-Mechanical Engineer at cosine you help shape the next generation of space-borne optical instruments that push the boundaries of Earth observation and planetary science. Working from our Italian team, you contribute to missions that will fly on satellites and asteroid explorers, where performance, precision, and reliability are critical for success in orbit. You join a small, international, high-level team with a start-up mindset, where engineering decisions directly influence hardware that will operate in the most demanding environment imaginable: space. From early design choices to final qualification testing, your work ensures that our instruments survive launch and perform flawlessly in orbit, enabling new scientific discoveries and commercial applications in the rapidly evolving New Space sector. TASKS & RESPONSIBILITIES In this role you will: * Lead and contribute to the thermo-mechanical design of high-precision optical instruments for space applications * Perform thermal and structural analyses to ensure performance under launch and orbital conditions * Support the full development cycle from concept design through to assembly, integration, and qualification testing * Collaborate closely with optical, mechanical, and system engineers in an international multidisciplinary team * Contribute to solving complex engineering challenges in a fast-paced, project-driven environment YOUR PROFILE We are looking for candidates with the following qualifications: * A Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field * Experience in thermo-mechanical design and analysis, ideally within space, aerospace, or high-tech precision engineering * Strong understanding of thermal and structural behavior of complex systems under extreme conditions * Hands-on mindset with experience in hardware development, integration, and testing * Ability to work effectively in small, international teams with a proactive and collaborative attitude * Strong communication skills in English, both written and spoken WHAT WE OFFER At cosine, we highly value our employees, and we will support your professional and personal development. We also provide our employees with: * A unique, international working environment at the intersection of physics and engineering * The opportunity to deliver end-to-end solutions in autonomous project teams, in close collaboration with customers * A competitive salary with an annual bonus based on individual and company performance * 20 days of annual leave (based on full-time employment) * 13th month salary payment * Hybrid working options, including the possibility to work partially from home * A personal development budget * Initial one-year contract, with the aim of long-term collaboration ABOUT COSINE Founded in 1998, cosine is a world-leading developer of space instrumentation and measurement systems, making the invisible measurable and the complex actionable. Its expertise spans High-Energy Optics, including optics developed for ESA's future NewAthena X-ray observatory, as well as remote sensing solutions for Earth Observation and planetary science. With over 25 years of experience and advanced cleanroom and assembly facilities across the Netherlands, Germany, and Italy, cosine brings deep scientific and engineering expertise to some of the most demanding missions in space and on Earth. What makes cosine a unique place to work is that your work goes end-to-end: from concept and design to building, testing, and delivering hardware that actually flies in space. You work in small, highly skilled teams where you have real ownership and impact, alongside experts in optics, physics, nanofabrication, and systems engineering.  cosine is committed to providing an inclusive and equal opportunities work environment where everyone can thrive. As a proud member of the Women in Aerospace community, we recognise the importance of diversity, inclusion, and equal opportunity in the workplace.

Here at The Exploration Company, we are developing, producing, and operating Nyx, a modular and reusable space orbital vehicle that can eventually be refuelled in orbit and that can carry cargo - and potentially humans in the longer run. The heart of a spacecraft lies in its engines, and that's why we, at The Exploration Company, are dedicated to developing our own cutting-edge Propulsion Systems ensuring the highest level of efficiency and reliability in our space endeavours. We are seeking a talented Thermo-mechanical Engineer to join our Future Project division. As a key member of our engineering team, you will be responsible for designing, analyzing, and optimizing combustion devices for cryogenic rocket engines, with a focus on the main thrust chamber assembly. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES * Support structural and thermal analysis of combustion device hardware including injector heads, faceplates, combustion chambers, manifolds, and structural interfaces. * Perform finite element analysis (FEA) and establish practical design suggestions and establish design recommendations, and margin assessments for hardware development. * Develop and apply analytical and reduced-order models to estimate heat transfer, structural loads, and thermal boundary conditions to inform design trades and hardware maturation. * Support hardware development and maturation, including design iteration, development planning, test definition, and post-test assessment of structural and thermal performance. * Drive life assessment activities, including low-cycle fatigue, thermal fatigue, cyclic loading, margin tracking, and damage accumulation for reusable hardware. * Own structural reliability and lifecycle assessments of combustion hardware, including low-cycle fatigue, thermal fatigue, cyclic loading, and thermo-mechanical failure risk evaluation. * Collaborate with combustion and fluid engineers to translate predicted heat flux distributions, pressure fields, and flow characteristics into structural and thermal design requirements * Define structural and thermal instrumentation strategies for development testing and participate post-test data reduction, model validation, and correlation activities. * Contribute to material selection and design trades considering temperature capability, strength, fatigue resistance, oxidation compatibility, and cryogenic behavior. * Prepare technical documentation and contribute to design, and test reviews with clear technical justification and risk assessment. WHAT WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE FROM YOU * Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical discipline. * Experience (academic, internship, or professional) in structural or thermal analysis of high-performance mechanical systems. * Strong fundamentals in solid mechanics, heat transfer, and pressure-loaded structures. * Experience with FEA tools such as ANSYS, NASTRAN, Abaqus, or equivalent. * Ability to interpret complex thermal and pressure boundary conditions and apply them appropriately in structural models. * Understanding of fatigue, temperature-dependent material behavior, and nonlinear structural response. * Exposure to high-temperature or cryogenic systems is advantageous. * Familiarity with CAD (NX ideally) tools and ability to work directly with geometry. * Experience with Python or similar scripting tools for analysis automation or data processing is beneficial. Skills and Behaviours * Methodical and structured approach to problem solving. * Strong attention to detail and analytical rigor. * Clear written and verbal communication of technical rationale. * Ability to iterate analyses as design and test data evolve. * Interest in propulsion systems and combustion device development. * Demonstrates behaviors consistent with The Exploration Company’s core values of Mission, Vision, Integrity, Excellence, and Teamwork. Why you should join us! What makes us special here at The Exploration Company and why we think you will enjoy working here is:   * We’re Agile - we make decisions fast whilst keeping our goals and systems in mind  * We’re Open and Collaborative - we are transparent about risks and obstacles, so that we can cooperate to overcome them   * We have a lot of Fun - we refuel our energy knowing we are democratising space. It’s a wonderful and rare opportunity, are YOU up for the challenge?   We'd love to hear from you if you wish to be a part of our journey. Please submit your CV now for immediate consideration and we will be in touch shortly.    The Exploration Company is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability status. Relocation assistance is provided for those willing to relocate including visa sponsorship where applicable.   All offers are contingent upon the successful completion of a background check, which will be subject to the country, role, and project you applied for. By submitting your application, you acknowledge and agree that any offer of employment may be conditional upon successful condition of this check. The Exploration Company partners with Zinc Work Limited located in the UK (Zinc), a third-party provider, to ensure this process as efficient and transparent as possible. If applicable, you will receive an email from Zinc upon acceptance of your offer with a link to a secure portal where you can provide the required information to Zinc.