Making previously impossible missions possible

Industry: Defense and Space Manufacturing
Company Size: 11-50 employees

K2 Space Corporation

Savvy Admin PROD

K2 is building the largest and highest-power satellites ever flown, unlocking performance levels previously out of reach across every orbit. Backed by $450M from leading investors including Altimeter Capital, Redpoint Ventures, T. Rowe Price, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Alpine Space Ventures, and others – with an additional $500M in signed contracts across commercial and US government customers – we’re mass-producing the highest-power satellite platforms ever built for missions from LEO to deep space.

The rise of heavy-lift launch vehicles is shifting the industry from an era of mass constraint to one of mass abundance, and we believe this new era demands a fundamentally different class of spacecraft. Engineered to survive the harshest radiation environments and to fully capitalize on today’s and tomorrow’s massive rockets, K2 satellites deliver unmatched capability at constellation scale and across multiple orbits.

With multiple launches planned through 2026 and 2027, we're Building Bigger to develop the solar system and become a Kardashev Type II (K2) civilization. If you are a motivated individual who thrives in a fast-paced environment and you're excited about contributing to the success of a groundbreaking Series C space startup, we’d love for you to apply.

**The Role**

The materials that go into K2's solar arrays — from module interconnects and adhesive systems to cover glass coatings and substrate composites — directly determine how much power they produce, how long they last, and how fast we can build them. Collaborating across the engineering and production teams, you will own the success of the materials selections and their implementations that will be key to our successful satellite operation.

You will define how K2 selects, qualifies, and scales materials and processes for its solar array systems and other subsystems. The operating environments, mission lifetimes, and production rates we are pursuing demand meaningful impact in how our materials are characterized, qualified, and manufactured. You will own the success of implementation of material systems in the development while scaling of K2’s solar array design.

**Responsibilities**

- Serve as a Responsible M&P engineer for our satellite bus structures, mechanisms, thermal, electrical, and solar array systems, including adhesives, sealants, cover glass and coatings

- Partner with experienced M&P engineers to help define the strategy and qualification philosophy for satellite materials spanning LEO to deep space mission environments

- Research, trade, and select conventional and novel materials and processes for various novel applications

- Define qualification criteria, test envelopes, and characterization campaigns that establish material performance margins across radiation, thermal cycling, mechanical, and plasma environments

- Lead design reviews, continually own system-level M&P deliverables, and drive development schedules with accurate projections looking 12+ months ahead

- Collaborate with solar, structures/mechanisms, thermal, avionics, and production teams to define material-driven requirements, integrated qualification/acceptance testing, and on-orbit data review

- Lead failure analysis and root cause investigations for material-related anomalies, establishing corrective action processes that feed back into design and production

- Evaluate, qualify, and manage material suppliers, including incoming inspection criteria, lot acceptance requirements, and supply chain risk mitigation

- Author, implement, and maintain M&P requirements, material and process specifications, technical specifications, and engineering work standards related to solar array materials and others used on throughout the spacecraft

**Qualifications**

- Bachelor's degree in materials science, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, physics, aerospace engineering, or a related technical discipline

- 2+ years of experience in materials and process engineering, with demonstrated depth in material selection, characterization, qualification, and production-scale process development

- Demonstrated track record of material and process decisions that have been validated through flight or equivalent high-reliability hardware programs

**Nice to Have**

- Master's degree or PhD in materials science, chemical engineering, or a related field

- Experience architecting M&P programs for solar array systems across the full development lifecycle — requirements definition, trade studies, development testing, qualification, production, and on-orbit data analysis

- Background working across multiple solar array material systems with variations in cell technology, interconnect metallurgy, encapsulant chemistry, and substrate architecture

- Deep understanding of adhesive systems, composites, thin films, thermal interface materials, and coatings as applied to high-power, long-life solar arrays

- Familiarity with AIAA S111/S112, SMC-S-016, NASA-STD-4005, NASA-STD-5017, and NASA-STD-6016 for the qualification of solar modules, materials usage, and spacecraft charging effects

- Experience with radiation effects on solar materials, including displacement damage dose modeling, ionization effects, UV degradation, and atomic oxygen erosion

- Expertise in key M&P disciplines including fracture mechanics, corrosion control, fluid/outgassing compatibility, descriptive and inferential statistics, and failure analysis

- Proficiency with material characterization techniques and tools (SEM, EDS, FTIR, DSC, TGA, XRD, or equivalent)

- Experience scaling material processes from prototype to high-rate production, including SPC implementation and manufacturing equipment qualification

- Familiarity with manufacturing processes including soldering, wire bonding, welding, lamination, heat treatment, plating, conversion coatings, and surface modification

- Python or MATLAB proficiency for test data analysis and degradation modeling

- Independent and self-motivated mindset with strong organizational, written, and oral communication skills across disciplines

**Compensation And Benefits**

- Base salary range for this role is $100,000 - $140,000 + equity in the company

- Salary will be based on several factors including, but not limited to: knowledge and skills, education, and experience level

- Comprehensive benefits package including paid time off, medical/dental/vision coverage, life insurance, paid parental leave, and many other perks

If you don’t meet 100% of the preferred skills and experience, we encourage you to still apply! Building a spacecraft unlike any other requires a team unlike any other and non-traditional career twists and turns are encouraged!

If you need a reasonable accommodation as part of your application for employment or interviews with us, please let us know.

**Export Compliance**

As defined in the ITAR, “U.S. Persons” include U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents (i.e., Green Card holders), and certain protected individuals (e.g., refugees/asylees, American Samoans). Please consult with a knowledgeable advisor if you are unsure whether you are a “U.S. Person.”

The person hired for this role will have access to information and items controlled by U.S. export control regulations, including the export control regulations outlined in the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR). The person hired for this role must therefore either be a “U.S. person” as defined by 22 C.F.R.

- 120.15 or otherwise eligible for a federally issued export control license.

**Equal Opportunity**

K2 Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with K2 Space is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

Materials & Process Engineer

K2 is building the largest and highest-power satellites ever flown, unlocking performance levels previously out of reach across every orbit. Backed by $450M from leading investors including Altimeter Capital, Redpoint Ventures, T. Rowe Price, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Alpine Space Ventures, and others – with an additional $500M in signed contracts across commercial and US government customers – we’re mass-producing the highest-power satellite platforms ever built for missions from LEO to deep space.

The rise of heavy-lift launch vehicles is shifting the industry from an era of mass constraint to one of mass abundance, and we believe this new era demands a fundamentally different class of spacecraft. Engineered to survive the harshest radiation environments and to fully capitalize on today’s and tomorrow’s massive rockets, K2 satellites deliver unmatched capability at constellation scale and across multiple orbits.

With multiple launches planned through 2026 and 2027, we're Building Bigger to develop the solar system and become a Kardashev Type II (K2) civilization. If you are a motivated individual who thrives in a fast-paced environment and you're excited about contributing to the success of a groundbreaking Series C space startup, we’d love for you to apply.

**The Role**

As a Sr. PCB Librarian, you will own the consistency, reliability, and scalability of K2 Space’s ECAD component library – one of the most foundational assets in our electronics development pipeline. You’ll work closely with electrical, manufacturing, and reliability engineers to define how components are created, validated, and maintained across all K2 Space satellite programs. Your work will directly shape the speed, quality, and repeatability of every PCB we design.

**Responsibilities**

- Create, review, and release schematic symbols, PCB footprints, 3D models, and parametric data for a wide range of electrical components.

- Develop and enforce library standards, naming conventions, metadata schemas, and documentation that ensure consistency across all designs.

- Implement automated qualityc hecking tools and workflows to detect errors, enforce rules, and streamline componentcreation.

- Manage lifecycle states for components (prototype, flight, obsolete), ensuring traceability and alignment with configurationmanagement processes.

- Drive continuous improvement of library processes, including version control, review workflows, and integration with PLM/ERP systems.

**Qualifications**

- Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related technical field.

- 5+ years of experience in PCB design, component management, or electronics hardware development.

- Deep expertise with at least one major ECAD tool (e.g., Altium Designer, Cadence Allegro/OrCAD, Mentor Xpedition).

- Strong understanding of PCB manufacturing processes, IPC standards, and DFM/DFT principles.

**Nice to Have**

- Experience with Altium Designer.

- Experience supporting high reliability or aerospace electronics (space, automotive, medical, defense).

- Experience developing automated scripts or tools for library management (Python, SQL, ECAD APIs).

- Proficiency with Excel.

**Compensation And Benefits**

- Base salary range for this role is $130,000 - $170,000 + equity in the company

- Salary will be based on several factors including, but not limited to: knowledge and skills, education, and experience level

- Comprehensive benefits package including paid time off, medical/dental/vision coverage, life insurance, paid parental leave, and many other perks

If you don’t meet 100% of the preferred skills and experience, we encourage you to still apply! Building a spacecraft unlike any other requires a team unlike any other and non-traditional career twists and turns are encouraged!

If you need a reasonable accommodation as part of your application for employment or interviews with us, please let us know.

**Export Compliance**

As defined in the ITAR, “U.S. Persons” include U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents (i.e., Green Card holders), and certain protected individuals (e.g., refugees/asylees, American Samoans). Please consult with a knowledgeable advisor if you are unsure whether you are a “U.S. Person.”

The person hired for this role will have access to information and items controlled by U.S. export control regulations, including the export control regulations outlined in the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR). The person hired for this role must therefore either be a “U.S. person” as defined by 22 C.F.R.

- 120.15 or otherwise eligible for a federally issued export control license.

**Equal Opportunity**

K2 Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with K2 Space is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

Senior PCB Librarian

K2 is building the largest and highest-power satellites ever flown, unlocking performance levels previously out of reach across every orbit. Backed by $450M from leading investors including Altimeter Capital, Redpoint Ventures, T. Rowe Price, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Alpine Space Ventures, and others – with an additional $500M in signed contracts across commercial and US government customers – we’re mass-producing the highest-power satellite platforms ever built for missions from LEO to deep space.

The rise of heavy-lift launch vehicles is shifting the industry from an era of mass constraint to one of mass abundance, and we believe this new era demands a fundamentally different class of spacecraft. Engineered to survive the harshest radiation environments and to fully capitalize on today’s and tomorrow’s massive rockets, K2 satellites deliver unmatched capability at constellation scale and across multiple orbits.

With multiple launches planned through 2026 and 2027, we're Building Bigger to develop the solar system and become a Kardashev Type II (K2) civilization. If you are a motivated individual who thrives in a fast-paced environment and you're excited about contributing to the success of a groundbreaking Series C space startup, we’d love for you to apply.

**The Role**

K2’s plan doesn't stop at satellite buses, however. By operating our own vehicles and manifesting regular rides to space, K2 is uniquely positioned to design, test, and deploy-at-scale ambitious optical payloads in MEO, GEO, cis-lunar, and deep space on unprecedented timelines. The satellite bus is the platform – the payloads are the mission.

There are any number of space-based optical payloads that can generate value here on Earth (ex. forest fire detection, climate and atmospheric monitoring, etc.) and further planetary science in our solar system (ex. hyper-spectral imaging, laser-altimetry) -- all of which require payload-specific optics benches with spectral / spatial filters, beam-shaping optics, image scanning / stabilization mechanisms, electro-optical sensors, fiber-to-free space interfaces, etc. coupled to large aperture, diffraction-limited telescopes for collecting and transmitting optical energy from the UV to the infrared.

As an Optical Systems Engineer, you will contribute to defining how K2 designs, manufactures, tests, and deploys optics benches across K2’s optical payload suite. You will be involved in every phase of your optical system’s life cycle, from initial feasibility and architectural trade studies through manufacturing, ground testing, and on-orbit commissioning. The development timelines and manufacturing scale that we are targeting require meaningful innovation, but you will have the resources and full support of K2 to make this possible and help raise the bar for the next generation of space technology companies.

**Responsibilities**

- Responsible for delivering the...

- system architecture, SNR budget, and system-specific modeling (ex. stray light, fiber coupling);

- detailed optical design and tolerancing;

- development plan (risk reduction timeline, division of labor, test strategy);

- environmental qualification and reliability testing;

- technical leadership of vendors and external partners, including component qualification, supply-chain development, and transition to volume manufacturing; and

- laboratory characterization, system-level validation, mission readiness, and on-orbit commissioning plan

… of optical benches for a suite of high-volume optical payloads operating in the UV / VIS / NIR / SWIR / MWIR / LWIR.

- Collaborate with the optical and satellite bus teams to determine feasibility and optimal system requirements for optical payloads.

- Prepare design reviews for your optical system to get stakeholder buy-in and communicate expectations to the hardware, software, test, and manufacturing teams.

- Forecast staffing needs, define roles, and interview candidates to ensure the optical payloads team is staffed appropriately to deliver on schedule.

- Mentor the engineers supporting you to make them more capable and autonomous in the realm of optical system development in the future – scoping work, providing feedback throughout, and reviewing and signing off on the quality of their work.

- Manufacturing is a major emphasis of this role. For any in-house fabrication and assembly, you’ll be responsible for the evaluation and selection of manufacturing equipment and working with the production team to develop a factory layout, work instructions, in-process checkouts, and end-of-line tests to ensure successful builds.

**Qualifications**

- Bachelor’s degree in physics, optics, computer science, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or a related technical field.

- 8+ years of experience in the design, manufacture, and test of optical systems.

- Experience designing and deploying optical systems at every phase of the product life cycle (requirements generation, design, analysis, tolerance, procure, build, align, test, deploy, operate).

**Nice to Have**

- Familiarity with high-volume manufacturing – broad knowledge of manufacturing techniques, design for manufacturability, supply chain management, and productionization of assembly and test processes.

- Experience with optical mechanisms – specifying their requirements, knowledge of feedback and actuation methods, basic controls analysis, quantifying mechanism error, and system-level testing.

- Deep knowledge of electro-optical sensing technologies (ie. focal plane arrays, photodiodes, etc.) – their non-idealities, noise mechanisms, and mitigations, testing and characterization, and practical implementation / system integration details.

- Experience conducting experimental research, data analysis, and visualizing esoteric datasets.

- Understanding of the failure modes of electrical, mechanical, and optical systems in space environment.

**Compensation And Benefits**

- Base salary range for this role is $110,000 - $280,000 + equity in the company

- Salary will be based on several factors including, but not limited to: knowledge and skills, education, and experience level

- Comprehensive benefits package including paid time off, medical/dental/vision coverage, life insurance, paid parental leave, and many other perks

If you don’t meet 100% of the preferred skills and experience, we encourage you to still apply! Building a spacecraft unlike any other requires a team unlike any other and non-traditional career twists and turns are encouraged!

If you need a reasonable accommodation as part of your application for employment or interviews with us, please let us know.

**Export Compliance**

As defined in the ITAR, “U.S. Persons” include U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents (i.e., Green Card holders), and certain protected individuals (e.g., refugees/asylees, American Samoans). Please consult with a knowledgeable advisor if you are unsure whether you are a “U.S. Person.”

The person hired for this role will have access to information and items controlled by U.S. export control regulations, including the export control regulations outlined in the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR). The person hired for this role must therefore either be a “U.S. person” as defined by 22 C.F.R.

- 120.15 or otherwise eligible for a federally issued export control license.

**Equal Opportunity**

K2 Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with K2 Space is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

Optical Systems Engineer

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