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Payload Jobs in Oregon (NOW HIRING)

Panthalassa

Senior Thermal Engineer

Portland, OR · On-site

$110K - $152K/yr

You will work closely with mechanical engineers, payload architects, electrical engineers, applied physicists, and the prototype team to evaluate concepts, improve designs, define thermal ...

Panthalassa

Senior Thermal Engineer

Portland, OR

$110K - $152K/yr

You will work closely with mechanical engineers, payload architects, electrical engineers, applied physicists, and the prototype team to evaluate concepts, improve designs, define thermal ...

Panthalassa

Senior Thermal Engineer

Portland, OR

$110K - $152K/yr

You will work closely with mechanical engineers, payload architects, electrical engineers, applied physicists, and the prototype team to evaluate concepts, improve designs, define thermal ...

Teledyne FLIR LLC

Sr EO/IR Systems Engineer

Wilsonville, OR · On-site

$108K - $148K/yr

Payloads include EO/SWIR/MWIR/LWIR image sensors, laser rangefinders, and optional laser designators. * Actively participate in optical and imaging system design, alignment, and testing, as well as ...

Teledyne

Sr EO/IR Systems Engineer

Wilsonville, OR

$108K - $148K/yr

Payloads include EO/SWIR/MWIR/LWIR image sensors, laser rangefinders, and optional laser designators. * Actively participate in optical and imaging system design, alignment, and testing, as well as ...

Overwatch Imaging

Systems and Test Analyst

Hood River, OR · On-site

$75K - $100K/yr

Prepare for and participate inflight testswith airborne sensor systems, including payload setup, checklists, and test verification. * Assist inintegration of sensor hardware(electrical, mounting ...

Karman Space& Defense

Deburrer

Wilsonville, OR · On-site

$20 - $23/hr

Building on nearly 50 years of success, we deliver Payload & Protection Systems, Aero/Hydrodynamic Interstage Systems, and Propulsion & Launch Systems to more than 80 prime contractors supporting ...

Karman Space & Defense

CNC Machinist I

Wilsonville, OR · On-site

Building on nearly 50 years of success, we deliver Payload & Protection Systems, Aero/Hydrodynamic Interstage Systems, and Propulsion & Launch Systems to more than 80 prime contractors supporting ...

Overwatch Imaging

Test Automation Engineer

Hood River, OR

$48 - $63.50/hr

Validate software that runs on Jetson devices and interfaces with in-house smart-sensors and third-party payloads. * Reproduce and debug software hardware issues. * Turn integration failures into ...

Overwatch Imaging

Test Automation Engineer

Hood River, OR · On-site

$130K - $180K/yr

Validate software that runs on Jetson devices and interfaces with in-house smart-sensors and third-party payloads. * Reproduce and debug software ↔ hardware issues. * Turn integration failures into ...

Overwatch Imaging

Test Automation Engineer

Hood River, OR · On-site

$48 - $63.50/hr

Validate software that runs on Jetson devices and interfaces with in-house smart-sensors and third-party payloads. * Reproduce and debug software ↔ hardware issues. * Turn integration failures into ...

US Bank

Senior Red Team Operator

Portland, OR · On-site

Develop custom tools, payloads, exploits, and automation capabilities to support complex Red Team operations. * Research emerging threats, attacker methodologies, and offensive security techniques to ...

Cyware

Threat Intelligence Engineer (REMOTE)

OR · Remote

$51 - $66.25/hr

Understand threat intel feed data models when API documentation is incomplete, or missing: inspect live payloads, sample data, and vendor dashboards to establish ground truth * Own connector ...

Rush Street Interactive

Senior Instrumentation Analyst

OR · Remote

$87K - $116K/yr

Define, document, and maintain standardized event tracking specifications, including naming conventions, payload structures, and parameter usage * Own and manage a centralized, version-controlled ...

Teledyne FLIR LLC

Sr. Mechanical Engineer

Wilsonville, OR · On-site

$108K - $142K/yr

Design of optical airborne sensor payloads. * Responsible for the mechanical specifications and planning related to electro-optical system design. * Testing of complex, opto-mechanical mechanisms ...

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All JobsPayload JobsPayload Jobs in Oregon

Payload information

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a payload specialist?

To thrive as a Payload Specialist, you typically need a background in engineering, physics, or a related science field, often supported by a relevant degree and experience with aerospace systems. Familiarity with mission planning software, payload integration tools, and systems such as MATLAB or LabVIEW is common, along with certifications like ITAR compliance when required. Attention to detail, strong problem-solving skills, and effective teamwork are essential soft skills for managing complex payload operations. These abilities ensure safe, reliable, and mission-optimized payload deployment in high-stakes aerospace environments.

What does a payload operator do?

A payload operator is responsible for managing and deploying payloads in aerospace, military, or drone operations. They handle the loading, release, and control of equipment or cargo during missions, often using specialized tools and adhering to safety protocols. This role requires technical skills, attention to detail, and knowledge of relevant safety standards.

What is a payload specialist?

Payload specialists are experts selected to manage and operate specific scientific or technical equipment on space missions, often aboard spacecraft such as the Space Shuttle or International Space Station. They are typically responsible for the preparation, execution, and monitoring of experiments or cargo during a mission. Payload specialists can come from scientific, engineering, or industry backgrounds and are chosen for their expertise related to the mission's payload. Their role is distinct from that of career astronauts, as they focus primarily on the payload rather than the overall operation of the spacecraft.

What are some common challenges faced by payload specialists when working on multidisciplinary teams in aerospace projects?

Payload Specialists often collaborate with engineers, scientists, and project managers, which requires clear communication and adaptability to different technical perspectives. A common challenge is ensuring that payload requirements are integrated smoothly with other subsystems, often under tight deadlines and shifting project priorities. Successful Payload Specialists proactively coordinate with other teams, anticipate integration issues, and remain flexible to accommodate late-stage design changes. This environment fosters strong problem-solving skills and can provide excellent opportunities for professional growth within multidisciplinary aerospace teams.

What is the difference between Payload vs Data Analyst?

AspectPayloadData Analyst
Required CredentialsTypically no specific certifications, but knowledge of logistics and transportationBachelor's degree in statistics, data science, or related field
Work EnvironmentLogistics, transportation, or delivery settingsOffice-based, data analysis, reporting, and visualization tasks
Employer & Industry UsageLogistics companies, courier services, transportation firmsCorporations, consulting firms, government agencies
Common Search & ComparisonOften compared in logistics contextsCompared in data management and analysis contexts

While Payload refers to the cargo or goods transported, Data Analyst focuses on interpreting data to inform business decisions. Both roles are essential in their industries but serve different functions—one in logistics and transportation, the other in data-driven insights.

What is payload and how does it work?

In the context of a payload specialist or related roles, payload refers to the cargo, instruments, or equipment carried by a vehicle such as a spacecraft, drone, or aircraft. The payload is designed to perform specific functions, and its deployment or operation is managed by the payload specialist or technician, often requiring knowledge of systems, safety protocols, and operational procedures. Understanding payload integration and handling is essential for ensuring mission success and safety.
What are popular job titles related to Payload jobs in Oregon? For Payload jobs in Oregon, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Payload jobs in Oregon look for? The top searched job categories for Payload jobs in Oregon are:
Payload jobs near you
Infographic showing various Payload job openings in Oregon as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 93% Full Time, 3% Part Time, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 94% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 3% Remote job distribution.

Senior Thermal Engineer

Panthalassa

Portland, OR • On-site

$110K - $152K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement, PTO

Posted 16 days ago

Job description

About the Company
We are a renewable energy and ocean technology company committed to rapidly developing and deploying technologies that will ensure a sustainable future for Earth by unlocking the vast energy potential of its oceans. Our focus is on capturing civilizational levels of ultra-low-cost renewable energy for applications including computing and affordable renewable fuels delivered to shore.
The company is a public benefit corporation headquartered in Portland, Oregon, and backed by leading venture capitalists, philanthropic investors, university endowments, and private investment offices. We operate as an idea meritocracy in which the best ideas change the company's direction on a regular basis.
About the Job
We are looking for a Senior Thermal Engineer who will own the end-to-end thermal simulation workflow for low- and high-power electromechanical systems operating in harsh marine environments, with a strong emphasis on rapid design iteration, first-principles thinking, and high-fidelity CFD where it adds real value.
You will work closely with mechanical engineers, payload architects, electrical engineers, applied physicists, and the prototype team to evaluate concepts, improve designs, define thermal requirements, debug issues, and help move hardware from early architecture through prototype and field validation. The ideal candidate is an expert in thermal CFD and modern simulation workflows, including GPU-accelerated solvers or other methods that enable fast turnaround without sacrificing engineering accuracy.
This is an onsite role based in our Portland office.
Responsibilities
  • Own thermal simulation and analysis workflows for onboard payloads, electronics, cooling systems, pressure-contained assemblies, and related mechanical systems.
  • Build and execute fast, reliable thermal CFD workflows that support rapid design iteration in close collaboration with mechanical design, electrical engineering, payload architecture, and prototyping teams.
  • Translate component-level thermal inputs, power maps, packaging constraints, and environmental conditions into actionable system and subsystem thermal requirements.
  • Analyze unit- and payload-level thermal architectures to define required airflow, liquid flow rates, heat sink performance, cold plate requirements, thermal interface assumptions, allowable pressure drops, and related cooling design parameters.
  • Work with electrical and mechanical engineers to define cooling interfaces and design targets that can be directly incorporated into board layouts, enclosure designs, heat sinks, manifolds, ducts, cold plates, and other hardware.
  • Evaluate and select appropriate modeling approaches, ranging from hand calculations and reduced-order models to detailed CFD, depending on the design question and required fidelity.
  • Assess GPU-accelerated and high-performance simulation tools for thermal analysis, including commercial and open-source options such as Fluent, STAR-CCM+, HELYX/OpenFOAM-based workflows, and emerging solver technologies.
  • Own the full simulation lifecycle, including geometry preparation, CAD interaction, meshing, solver setup, execution, debugging, convergence assessment, post-processing, visualization, and communication of results.
  • Work directly with CAD and design teams, including NX-based workflows, to simplify, prepare, and modify geometry for simulation and rapid design exploration.
  • Develop thermal models for high-power compute and electronics payloads, including conduction, convection, liquid cooling, heat exchangers, cold plates, sealed enclosures, and thermal interfaces.
  • Analyze cooling architectures for systems operating in rugged, space-constrained, and environmentally exposed conditions.
  • Support the design of cooling systems that may use ambient environmental heat sinks, liquid loops, pressure boundaries, and mechanically integrated thermal paths.
  • Identify dominant thermal resistances, failure modes, uncertainty sources, and design sensitivities using first-principles reasoning.
  • Validate simulation results against prototype tests, lab measurements, field data, and experimental observations.
  • Develop post-processing and visualization methods that clearly communicate thermal margins, flow behavior, hot spots, pressure losses, uncertainty, and design tradeoffs.
  • Partner with prototype and test teams to define instrumentation plans, test conditions, acceptance criteria, and validation approaches.
  • Help build reusable simulation pipelines, templates, automation, and best practices for thermal analysis across payload and onboard system designs.
  • Apply engineering judgment to identify misleading, overfit, under-resolved, or physically inconsistent simulation results.
  • Contribute to optimization and design exploration workflows, including adjoint methods, parametric studies, surrogate models, and automated geometry or cooling-system optimization where appropriate.

Required Qualifications
  • Strong background in thermal engineering, heat transfer, fluid mechanics, and numerical simulation.
  • Deep experience with thermal CFD for electronics, compute systems, aerospace, marine, automotive, or other high-power engineered systems.
  • Demonstrated ability to use CFD as an engineering tool rather than as a black box.
  • Experience translating component-level heat loads, thermal limits, and packaging constraints into system-level cooling requirements and hardware design targets.
  • Experience with the full CFD workflow: geometry preparation, meshing, boundary condition definition, solver setup, convergence/debugging, post-processing, and validation.
  • Hands-on experience with one or more major CFD tools such as STAR-CCM+, ANSYS Fluent, HELYX/OpenFOAM, or comparable high-performance solvers.
  • Experience evaluating model fidelity, mesh sensitivity, turbulence models, conjugate heat transfer, transient effects, boundary condition uncertainty, and numerical error.
  • Ability to move quickly between analytical calculations, reduced-order models, and detailed CFD depending on the problem.
  • Experience working closely with mechanical and electrical design teams and iterating directly on hardware concepts.
  • Comfortable working with CAD geometry and simulation-prep workflows; NX experience is strongly preferred.
  • Strong communication skills and ability to work with high-bandwidth technical teams across mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, physics, controls, prototyping, and systems architecture.
  • Ability to clearly explain assumptions, requirements, results, uncertainty, and design implications to both specialists and non-specialists.
  • Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, applied physics, or a related field; advanced degree preferred.

Preferred Qualifications
  • Experience designing and analyzing systems inside sealed enclosures, pressure vessels, marine housings, aerospace hardware, or ruggedized environmental packaging.
  • Experience with GPU-accelerated CFD, high-performance computing, or modern solver acceleration methods.
  • Thermal design experience for high-power compute systems, GPU/CPU clusters, data center hardware, power electronics, or dense electronics payloads.
  • Experience with liquid cooling systems, cold plates, heat exchangers, pumps, manifolds, coolant loops, heat sinks, airflow management, and thermal interface materials.
  • Experience defining thermal design requirements for board-level electronics, integrated payload assemblies, enclosure-level systems, or pressure-contained hardware.
  • Experience with conjugate heat transfer involving solids, fluids, interfaces, and enclosure-level thermal paths.
  • Experience with rapid prototyping, hardware bring-up, test planning, and simulation-test correlation.
  • Experience with offshore, marine, subsea, aerospace, defense, or other harsh-environment systems.
  • Familiarity with adjoint optimization, automated design exploration, topology/shape optimization, surrogate modeling, or reduced-order modeling.
  • Scripting or automation experience in Python, shell, Java macros, OpenFOAM workflows, or solver-specific APIs.
  • Experience building reusable simulation pipelines and standardized modeling practices for engineering teams.

The above qualifications are desired, not required. We encourage you to apply if you are a strong candidate with only some of the desired skills and experience listed.
What Success Looks Like
  • Thermal design questions are answered quickly, accurately, and at the right level of fidelity.
  • Electrical, mechanical, and payload teams receive clear cooling requirements and design targets early enough to influence architecture, layout, and hardware choices.
  • Mechanical and payload teams can iterate faster because simulation workflows are tightly integrated with design decisions.
  • CFD results are trusted because they are validated, physically interpretable, and communicated clearly.
  • Thermal margins, risks, and design sensitivities are identified early enough to influence architecture and hardware choices.
  • Simulation workflows become increasingly automated, reusable, and robust across payload and onboard system programs.
Working Style
We are looking for someone who combines deep technical judgment with practical engineering speed. You should be comfortable working from first principles, challenging assumptions, spotting bad simulation results, and choosing the simplest model that can answer the question. You should also be able to go deep when the problem demands it, including detailed CFD, conjugate heat transfer, design optimization, and validation against real hardware.
This role will work closely with applied physicists, mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, payload designers, and prototype teams, so clear communication and strong technical range are essential.
Compensation and Benefits
If hired for this full-time role, you will receive:
  • Cash compensation of $155,000-$200,000.
  • Equity in the company. We're all owners and if we're successful, this equity should be far and away the most valuable component of your compensation.
  • A benefits package that helps you take care of yourself and your family, including:
    • Flexible paid time off
    • Health insurance (the company pays 100% of gold level PPO plan for full time employees, their partners, and dependents)
    • Dental insurance (the company pays 100% for full time employees and 100% for their partners and dependents)
    • Vision insurance (the company pays 100% for full time employees, their partners, and dependents)
    • Disability insurance (the company pays 100% for a policy to provide long term financial support if you become disabled)
    • Ability to contribute to tax-advantaged accounts, including 401(k), health FSA, and dependent care FSA
  • Relocation assistance to facilitate your move to Portland (if needed).

Location
Our offices, lab and shop, are located in Portland, Oregon.

Apply