Principal Integration & Test 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 Principal Integration & Test Engineer, you will help hone K2’s approach to subscale and full vehicle production, qualification testing, and operation. Your work will span most technical disciplines at the company and will require building consensus from disparate stakeholders. You will be asked to help mentors others while serving as a critical driver for on-time delivery and mitigating mission risk. Our goal is to develop a fully autonomous constellation and that starts on the ground. You’ll be the driver of constellation-level control to realize this goal.  

Responsibilities  

• Develop company-wide standards for vehicle test (manual and automated) used to confirm spacecraft hardware and software flightworthiness

• Operate spacecraft (interpret telemetry, send commands) during system tests at the factory, test facilities, launch sites, and during pre-launch operations  

• Act as a test conductor (and sometimes POC) for environmental test campaigns

• Mentor more junior members of the team

• Interface with customers to scope testing performed on their payloads, based on expected functions and failure modes of interest

• Manage relationships with launch vehicle providers, including contractual deliverables such as interface control documents and environmental test plan justifications  

• Lead high-visibility (proto)qualification campaigns for development and flight hardware  

• Assess risks associated with different integration and test approaches, justify test reductions and optimize vehicle build/test flows for at-rate production  

Qualifications  

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical, aerospace, mechanical, computer, or other relevant engineering discipline  

• 8+ years of experience in an integration/test/automation engineering role  

• 5+ years of experience testing and troubleshooting spacecraft and their related components and systems, including subsystem checkouts and system acceptance testing  

• Experience with environmental testing, such as thermal vacuum or random vibration  

• Experience working in a clean room and with ESD-sensitive equipment  

• Hands-on experience using electrical test equipment (PSU, Oscilloscope, DMM, etc.) 

• Hands-on experience with HITL/HWIL or Flatsat software verification testbeds  

• Excellent conflict resolution and negotiation skills  

Nice to Have  

• Proficient in Python and/or Rust  

• Experience with Linux systems  

• Experience managing contractual interfaces (e.g. customer, launch vehicle) 

Compensation and Benefits  

• Base salary range for this role is $175,000 - $200,000 + 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.