Senior Mission Engineer
Not Disclosed•Full-TimeOn-site
location_on1536, East 77th Street, Florence-Firestone, Firestone Park, Los Angeles County, California, 90001, United States
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, and Alpine Space Ventures, we are 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. 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 are building bigger to develop the solar system and become a Kardashev Type II (K2) civilization.
As a Mission Lead Engineer within National Security Programs, you will serve as the primary technical interface between K2 Space, customers, and partners as we develop and shape mission architectures for future and ongoing opportunities to host advanced payload capabilities onto K2's satellite bus platform. You will work closely with Program Managers and key engineering disciplines to define and architect missions, ensuring alignment to K2 Space's technology and capabilities. This role involves representing K2 Space in critical customer engagements, study reviews, and technical negotiations.
If you are a motivated individual who thrives in a fast-paced environment and is excited about contributing to the success of a groundbreaking Series C space startup, we'd love for you to apply. Building a spacecraft unlike any other requires a team unlike any other, and non-traditional career twists and turns are encouraged!
If you don't meet 100% of the preferred skills and experience, we encourage you to still apply. If you need a reasonable accommodation as part of your application for employment or interviews with us, please let us know.
The person hired for this role will have access to information and items controlled by U.S. export control regulations, including 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. 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."
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.
Work model: On-site
1536, East 77th Street, Florence-Firestone, Firestone Park, Los Angeles County, California, 90001, United States
Firestone Park, California
Master's degree or above in an engineering discipline. 10+ Years of experience working in the aerospace or space industry, working with spacecraft, launch vehicles, airborne systems, or payloads. Experience working directly with National Security customers and systems. Satellite constellation modeling, simulation and analysis experience and intuitive understanding of multibody dynamics. Payload performance modeling and analysis (Electro Optical, Radio Frequency, Infrared, Communications, Networking, Position Navigation and timing etc). Deep understanding of national security enterprise ground systems and architectures including command and control, networking, tasking, planning, scheduling, processing, dissemination, and tracking software architectures. Ability to travel up to 25% of the time.
Harris Corporation • North Amityville, New York
Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory • Columbia, Maryland
Mission Technologies, a division of HII • Des Moines, Iowa
Skills: Mission Modeling, Simulation, Multibody Dynamics, Payload Performance Modeling, Electro Optical, Radio Frequency, Infrared, Communications, Networking, Position Navigation And Timing.
Education: Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline required; Master's degree or above in an engineering discipline preferred.