Director, Mechanical & Thermal Engineering

About us

One team. Global challenges. Infinite opportunities. At Viasat, we're on a mission to deliver connections with the capacity to change the world. For more than 35 years, Viasat has helped shape how consumers, businesses, governments and militaries around the globe communicate. We're looking for people who think big, act fearlessly, and create an inclusive environment that drives positive impact to join our team.

What you'll do

Viasat is shaping the future of global connectivity through advanced satellite systems that deliver high capacity, resilient communications across the globe. As satellite architecture continues to evolve toward higher throughput, greater complexity, and faster development cycles, robust mechanical and thermal engineering is critical to mission success.

From payload instruments and antenna systems to spacecraft structures and thermal control, mechanical and thermal systems form the backbone that enables performance, reliability, and manufacturability at scale.

Viasat is seeking a Director of Mechanical & Thermal Engineering to lead the teams responsible for mechanical and thermal design across both spacecraft bus and payload systems. This role sets technical direction, drives execution on flight critical hardware, and ensures tight integration across disciplines, programs, and production environments.

You will play a key leadership role in delivering reliable, high performance satellite systems - from early architecture through on orbit operations - while building a strong engineering culture focused on rigor, accountability, and execution.

Mechanical and Thermal Engineering is central to delivering Viasat's next generation space systems with speed, reliability, and scalability. As Director, you will lead a multidisciplinary organization responsible for the mechanical and thermal aspects of spacecraft and payload development across multiple programs.

Your leadership will help teams navigate complex trades between performance, mass, cost, schedule, and producibility, while ensuring designs are robust from initial concept through qualification and flight.

The day-to-day

• Lead and manage the Mechanical and Thermal Engineering organization supporting spacecraft buses and payload systems, including:

o Spacecraft structures and mechanisms

o Payload mechanical design and packaging

o Passive and active thermal control systems

o Mechanical electrical integration and interfaces

o Structural, thermal, and coupled analysis

• Set the technical vision and strategy for mechanical and thermal architectures across current and future satellite programs.
• Drive execution from concept development through design, analysis, fabrication, integration, test, and on orbit support.
• Partner closely with systems engineering, payload, RF, avionics, propulsion, manufacturing, supply chain, and program management to ensure seamless integration and delivery.
• Own mechanical and thermal requirements flow down, trade studies, design margins, and verification approaches.
• Guide and chair design reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR), anomaly reviews, and configuration control boards.
• Ensure designs meet environmental qualification requirements, including vibration, shock, thermal vacuum, and launch vehicle compatibility.
• Oversee design for manufacture and design for assembly (DFM/DFA) efforts to support production rate, cost, and quality objectives.
• Support hardware bring up, integration, environmental test, and on orbit anomaly resolution.
• Develop and mentor engineering leaders and individual contributors, building a high performing and collaborative organization.
• Establish and maintain engineering standards, best practices, and lifecycle processes across mechanical and thermal domains.
• Serve as a technical representative to customers, partners, and internal leadership for mechanical and thermal engineering topics.

What you'll need

• B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related field (M.S. or Ph.D. preferred).
• 10+ years of experience in mechanical and/or thermal engineering for spacecraft or complex aerospace systems.
• 5+ years of engineering leadership experience managing and developing high performing teams.
• Demonstrated ownership of mechanical and/or thermal subsystems through qualification, flight, or production.
• Strong background in:

o Structural design and analysis

o Thermal control design and modeling

o Mechanisms and deployables

o GD&T and tolerance analysis

o Materials and manufacturing processes

• Proficiency with CAD and analysis tools (e.g., NX, Creo, ANSYS, NASTRAN, Thermal Desktop, SINDA/FLUINT, or equivalent).
• Hands on experience with integration, environmental testing, and failure/anomaly investigation.
• Experience with engineering documentation, configuration management, and change control.
• Ability to drive clarity in complex, cross disciplinary engineering environments.
• Strong communication skills with both technical teams and executive stakeholders.
• 25% travel.

What will help you on the job

• Experience leading mechanical and thermal engineering across both payload and spacecraft bus.
• Familiarity with high power payloads, antennas, RF structures, and thermal challenges.
• Experience supporting high rate or multi program development environments.
• Comfort operating in environments where system maturity evolves through iterative design, test, and flight learning.
• A leadership style that balances technical rigor with pragmatic execution.
• Passion for mentoring engineers and building scalable organizations.

Why Join Viasat?

At Viasat, you'll work on some of the most ambitious space systems in the industry alongside engineers, scientists, and leaders who are passionate about solving hard problems that matter. You'll have the opportunity to influence the architecture and execution of next generation satellite systems that enable global connectivity, resilience, and impact.

#LI-GS1

Salary range

$201,500.00 - $318,000.00 / annually. For specific work locations within San Jose, the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, the base pay range for this role is $250,000.00- $375,000.00/ annually

At Viasat, we consider many factors when it comes to compensation, including the scope of the position as well as your background and experience. Base pay may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Additional cash or stock incentives may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to a range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the position offered. Learn more about Viasat's comprehensive benefit offerings that are focused on your holistic health and wellness at https://careers.viasat.com/benefits.

EEO Statement

Viasat is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, seeking to create a welcoming and diverse environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, genetics, age, or veteran status or any other applicable legally protected status or characteristic. If you would like to request an accommodation on the basis of disability for completing this on-line application, please click here.