Senior Satellite Mechanical Engineer, Optical Structures

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. 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.  

In this role, you will have cradle-to-grave ownership over the mechanical elements of space environment payloads including optical payloads, with a focus on broader mechanical skills – including but not limited to structural design for stress and modal performance; design for optimal manufacturing; design of lens and optical component mounting solutions that can perform in launch and space environments; thermal analysis and mitigation; and cradle-to-grave ownership from clean-sheet trades, design, analysis, testing, and integration support.  You'll partner closely with optical engineers, but your center of gravity is mechanical design, structural performance, and hardware realization.  

In your first 6 months, you will define mechanical and optomechanical requirements, create initial concepts and trades, perform preliminary and detailed analysis, define development test campaigns, and produce development hardware. In your first year, you will validate your designs through prototype iterations and build and qualify flight hardware. In your first two years you will fly your hardware in space while directly supporting production and integration.  

Responsibilities 

• Take satellite mechanical and optical hardware from conceptual design through analysis, prototyping, flight manufacturing, and qualification to on-orbit operations in order to support internal and external customer needs. 
• Own structural, electronics thermal heatsinking, and lens mounting design and implementation for subsystems at the intersection of mechanical, optical, and electrical.  
• Perform hardware trades that steer both sub-system and top-level product direction 
• Lead subsystem design reviews from kickoff through qualification and beyond 
• Drive hardware development, including hands-on assembly and alignment, development testing (vibration, thermal-vac, modal), analysis correlation, and follow-on hardware iterations  
• Collaborate with a cross-functional team – structures, optical, thermal, electrical, GNC, metrology, and manufacturing - to establish product requirements, company processes, and best practices for hardware design and manufacturing 
• Continually own and refine sub-system deliverable schedules throughout development and production 

Qualifications 

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical, aerospace, optical, or other relevant engineering discipline  
• 4+ years of experience in mechanical or optomechanical design and analysis, with a mechanical-heavy background  
• Proficiency with 3D CAD and software for detailed part and assembly design  
• Proficiency with finite element analysis software for modal, stress, and thermo-structural analysis  
• Hands-on experience with prototyping and testing 

Nice to Have 

• Proficiency with Siemens NX CAD  
• Experience designing, building, and testing mechanical assemblies for aerospace applications (satellite mechanical systems, payloads, launch vehicles, propulsion systems, and/or aircraft structures and mechanisms) 
• Demonstrated proficiency in the principles of mechanical design, materials, and structural dynamics, and failure modes of complex mechanical systems in space environments and operations  
• Experience with the practical application of GD&T, including tolerancing of precision mechanical interfaces  
• Experience with precision and optical design elements such as flexure design, optical bonding, and kinematic mount design for space environments, and addressing optical stability, mounting deformation, thermal effects, and jitter 
• Demonstrated ability to personally design, build, and test hardware from a blank canvas, including troubleshooting and iterating designs based on downstream feedback  
• Independent and self-motivated mindset, with strong organizational, written, and oral communication skills 

Compensation and Benefits: 

• Base salary range for this role is $140,000 - $175,000 + 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.