HITL Engineer

About the role

The role of Hardware-In-The-Loop (HITL) Testbed Engineer at K2 Space involves designing, implementing, and maintaining critical test assets that integrate flight-like hardware and high-fidelity simulation. Key responsibilities include working with engineers and software engineers to design a high-fidelity vehicle testbed, operating the HITL testbed in support of system validation, verification, and investigations, receiving, integrating, and testing flight representative hardware, collaborating with design and systems engineers to create and build hardware simulation equipment, owning, maintaining, and documenting HITL table configuration and build out, creating and releasing harness drawings for ground support and test equipment, investigating and troubleshooting testbed issues, and supporting training events for mission operators.

Responsibilities

• Work with responsible engineers and software engineers to design a high-fidelity vehicle testbed ensuring high technical rigor and associated documentation.
• Operate the HITL testbed in support of system validation, verification, and investigations, including on-orbit operations.
• Receive, integrate, and test flight representative hardware into HITL testbeds.
• Collaborate with design and systems engineers to create and build hardware simulation equipment.
• Own, maintain, and document HITL table configuration and build out, including the supporting GSE racks.
• Create and release harness drawings for required ground support and test equipment.
• Investigate and troubleshoot testbed issues and drive further actions to improve future designs.
• Design, maintain, and operate HITL racks deployed to customers for integration.
• Support training events for mission operators for constellation management.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical, aerospace, mechanical, computer, or other engineering discipline.
• 2+ years of experience in an integration/test/automation engineering role (includes internships and design/build/compete extracurricular projects).
• Hands-on experience with HITL or Flatsat software verification testbeds.
• Experience designing, building, and maintaining test racks and harnessing.
• Experience testing and troubleshooting integrated avionics systems and their related components.
• Hands-on experience using electrical test equipment (PSU, Oscilloscope, DMM, etc.) and with ESD sensitive equipment.
• 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).
• Experience with containerized solutions like Docker.
• Desire to continually raise the bar of “good enough” and innovate novel solutions for scaling HITL.