Head of Thermal and Mechanical Engineering

KP Labs is looking for a Head of Thermal and Mechanical Engineering to lead and develop its multidisciplinary thermal and mechanical team.

About the role

As Head of Thermal and Mechanical Engineering, you will lead and develop a multidisciplinary team responsible for thermal analyses, mechanical design, simulations, experimental testing, and technical documentation for solutions used in space systems and instruments. You will coordinate the team’s work, ensure the quality of technical solutions, support architecture and technology decisions, and work closely with Systems Engineering, Electronics, Project Management, and AIVT.

Responsibilities

• Lead, organize, and develop the Thermal and Mechanical Engineering Department, including resource, priority, and workload planning
• Coordinate thermal analyses, mechanical design, simulations, experimental activities, and the preparation of technical documentation
• Ensure the technical quality, consistency, and timely delivery of the team’s engineering work
• Support system architecture decisions and the selection of materials, manufacturing methods, and engineering technologies
• Collaborate closely with Systems Engineering, Electronics, Project Management, and Assembly, Integration and Testing (AIVT) teams
• Establish and continuously improve engineering standards, tools, review practices, and ways of working within the department
• Identify and assess technical risks, support reliability evaluations, and oversee mitigation activities
• Develop the team’s technical capabilities through mentoring, knowledge sharing, and competence planning

Requirements

• A university degree in a technical field, preferably Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, Energy Engineering, Physics, or a related discipline
• Experience in managing a technical team or leading engineering work in a highly complex project environment
• Very good knowledge of mechanical design, thermal analysis, or the integration of both disciplines
• Knowledge of manufacturing technologies and hands-on experience with mechanical production processes
• Practical experience with CAD tools, finite element analysis (FEA/FEM), and simulation environments
• The ability to prepare and oversee technical documentation, plan experiments, and assess reliability and risk
• Very good spoken and written English

Nice to have

• Experience in space-sector or other high-reliability projects
• Knowledge of space industry standards, particularly ECSS
• Experience with laboratory testing, including thermal-vacuum (TVAC) testing, temperature measurements, mechanical or strength testing, thermography, or AIVT activities
• Knowledge of PDM and PLM systems, as well as MATLAB or Python
• Experience in developing computational models

What KP Labs offers

• Work with world-class companies and institutions at the forefront of the global space industry
• Take part in challenging and innovative projects that have a real impact on the development of the space industry
• Gain valuable experience and grow professionally with the support of leading specialists in their fields
• Work in a friendly and supportive environment that encourages collaboration, knowledge sharing, and continuous learning
• Opportunity to attend major international events related to the space industry
• Flexible working hours and remote or hybrid work options, depending on the position
• A wide range of benefits, including private healthcare, nursery and kindergarten subsidies and a benefits platform
• Stable employment in a growing technology company delivering international projects
• Company sports team
• Cafeteria plan
• Meal subsidies
• No dress code
• Employee parking

Why KP Labs

We believe in a "human" approach to work and care about work-life balance. One of our greatest strengths is the emphasis we place on mutual support and knowledge sharing.

Contract type and salary are not stated in the original posting.

Originally posted at https://www.kplabs.space/jobs/head-of-thermal-and-mechanical-engineering