Principal Electrical Engineer

Principal Electrical Engineer

Los Angeles, CA

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

You will be responsible for designing, testing, and flying critical electronics across all of the K2 Space satellites. In your first 6 months you will prototype your first electronics assembly and execute environmental and performance testing to refine your designs. In your first year you will qualify your hardware for flight and begin designing even more capable devices for future generations of spacecraft. In your first two years you will have flown your electronics in space and developed novel designs across all avionics domains.

Responsibilities

• Design electronics PCBAs for spacecraft including architecture, component selection, circuit board design, board bring up and debugging
• Qualify your designs through environmental testing including vibration, shock, thermal, and thermal vacuum testing
• Work with internal and external stakeholders to integrate your designs into the spacecraft systems and operate your hardware in flight
• Develop test equipment, development PCBAs, and test scripts to assist with all of the above

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, computer science, computer engineering, or related science, technology, engineering, or mathematics field
• 8+ years of experience designing and testing electronics PCBAs in a fast-paced environment

Nice to Have

• Experience designing multi-layer PCBAs for high-speed digital applications
• Experience with high performance kW scale isolated power converter design
• Experience designing analog control loops, solid state load switches, motor inverters, EMI/EMC compliance, or sensor signal conditioning circuits
• Experience with digital processors, FPGAs, memory chips, or network switches
• Proficient with circuit simulation tools such as LTspice
• Experience with component selection for use in radiation environments
• Knowledge of filter design for stability, noise rejection, and surviving threat signals
• Experience with load switch design and power path protection schemes
• Experience programming in C/C++, Python, or Matlab

Compensation and Benefits:

• Base salary range for this role is $160,000 - $210,000 + 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.