Principal Integration & Test Engineer

About the Role

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 and an additional $500M in signed contracts, we’re mass-producing the highest-power satellite platforms ever built for missions from LEO to deep space. 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 require building consensus from disparate stakeholders. You will mentor others while driving on-time delivery and mitigating mission risk, playing a critical role in developing a fully autonomous constellation.

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

Requirements

• 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

Skills

• Proficient in Python and/or Rust (Nice to Have)
• Experience with Linux systems (Nice to Have)
• Experience managing contractual interfaces (e.g., customer, launch vehicle) (Nice to Have)

Pay

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.

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits package including paid time off
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Life insurance
• Paid parental leave
• Many other perks

If you don’t meet 100% of the preferred skills and experience, we encourage you to still apply! Non-traditional career twists and turns are encouraged.

The person hired for this role must be a “U.S. Person” as defined by ITAR (22 C.F.R. 120.15) or otherwise eligible for a federally issued export control license.