K2 is building the largest and highest-power satellites ever flown, unlocking performance levels previously out of reach across every orbit. Backed by over $1 billion in total funding from leading investors including Altimeter Capital, ICONIQ, Kleiner Perkins, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Redpoint Ventures, and T. Rowe Price — and with over $1 billion 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 in 2027 and plans to scale to 100 satellites a year, we're Building Bigger — helping develop the solar system and build toward 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 high-growth Series D-funded company, we'd love for you to apply.

The Role

Partnering with design engineers early on in the process, you will ensure manufacturability, build the first prototype, design the build flow and fixturing, and finalize the process for transition to production. Once transitioned, you will own the effort to scale production and meet K2's ever-growing demand. You will pioneer new techniques for manufacturing complex PCBAs, harnessing, and integrated electronics systems, and set the direction for how mechanical teams approach the electromechanical assemblies and machined components these electronics integrate into. In your first 6 months you will develop manufacturing methods and tooling for integrated avionics systems, define manufacturing flows for electronic subsystems, and lead Design-for-Excellence (DFX) guidance across PCBs, PCBAs, machined components, and higher-level assemblies. As a Principal on the team, you will also set manufacturing policy and standards, proactively flag risk in upcoming designs before it becomes a problem, plan ahead for the manufacturability of future programs, and build tools that make the rest of the Manufacturing Engineering team faster and more effective.

Responsibilities

Lead DFX reviews with design engineers across PCBs, PCBAs, machined components, and assemblies for initial design, flight hardware, and tooling
Lead the development of innovative manufacturing systems for spacecraft electronics, including PCBA integration, wire harnessing, and electromechanical sub-assemblies
Set manufacturing policy, standards, and best practices for the Manufacturing Engineering organization, proactively identifying and mitigating manufacturability, process, and quality risks before they surface
Plan manufacturing strategy, tooling, and capacity investments ahead of future product designs and program roadmaps
Research and pilot new assembly methodologies and automation technologies, using data-driven analysis to optimize current production and inform manufacturing business decisions
Create custom tools, automation, and processes, including Manufacturing Execution System (MES) software, to support the manufacturing technologies you create and streamline the work of the broader Manufacturing Engineering team
Demonstrate the advanced manufacturing techniques on prototypes, working with the design teams to continuously improve the manufacturability of the designs
Develop the subassembly build flow and iterate to create an efficient production flow for the satellite and ensure that build times align with current takt times
Mentor and provide technical guidance to junior Manufacturing Engineers, technicians, and design peers on electronics manufacturing best practices