Principal Mechanical 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 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

You will own the success of the mechanical structures and mechanisms that will be key to our satellite operation. In your first 6 months, you will define mechanical requirements, create initial concepts and trades, perform preliminary and detailed analysis, define development test campaigns, trade and select any purchased electromechanical subsystems, and produce development hardware. In your first year, you will validate your designs through prototype iterations and build and qualify flight hardware. In your first two years you will fly your hardware in space while directly supporting production and integration.

Responsibilities

• Take hardware and mechanisms from conceptual design through qualification to on-orbit operations in order to support internal and external customer needs
• Lead design reviews from kickoff through qualification and beyond
• Drive hardware development, including hands-on development testing, analysis correlation, and follow-on hardware iterations
• Perform hardware trades that steer both sub-system and top-level product direction
• Collaborate with a cross-functional team to establish product requirements, company processes, and best practices for hardware design and manufacturing
• Continually own and refine system deliverables and associated schedules throughout development and production

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical, aerospace, or other relevant engineering discipline
• 10+ years of experience with mechanical and/or electromechanical design and analysis
• Experience with CAD or FEA software packages
• Experience with the practical application of GD&T
• Demonstrated proficiency in the principles of mechanical design, materials, thermodynamics, and fluids
• Demonstrated ability to personally design, build, and test hardware from a blank canvas, including troubleshooting and iterating designs based on downstream feedback

Nice to Have

• Experience designing, building, and testing moving mechanical assemblies for aerospace applications (satellite mechanical systems, payloads, launch vehicles, propulsion systems, and/or aircraft structures and mechanisms)
• Experience with NASA-STD-5017, SMC-S-016, and GSFC-STD-7000 for the design and qualification of in-space Moving Mechanism Assemblies
• Demonstrated ability to own mechanical hardware or systems within an integrated engineering team outside a classroom setting
• Demonstrated understanding of structural analysis and failure modes of complex mechanical systems in space environments and operations
• Independent and self-motivated mindset, with strong organizational, written, and oral communication skills

Compensation and Benefits

• Base salary range for this role is $185,000 - $200,000 + equity in the company
• Salary and level 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!

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.