The posting
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
K2 Space operates constellations spanning commercial, science, and national security missions using a mix of in-house and legacy ground systems. In this role, you will be a key part of the team supporting integrating all systems into a cohesive, reliable ground network. The ground systems you and your team build will be capable of bridging the gap between heterogeneous constellations in space and the RF and Optical ground segment that controls them. You will be instrumental in a multi-pronged strategy to invest in K2 ground infrastructure while also engaging with partners to integrate with legacy and 3rd party ground systems.
You’ll be part of a growing organization of engineers, set the integration roadmap, and ensure we’re delivering ground infrastructure that moves as fast as our hardware. You and your team will collaborate closely with the Ground Software Applications and Flight Software teams to drive new integrations that unlock new mission capabilities for our customers in the classified and unclassified domains.
Responsibilities
- Define and execute the long-term vision for K2 Space’s end to end ground systems integration, focusing on network protocols and connections
- Drive integration implementation between in-house ground systems and external vendor systems while supporting the business development team
- Integrate with customer teams to architect consistent ground network integration architecture capable of operating at multiple levels of classification while delivering secure and reliable constellation operations
- Build and support a team of capable and experienced ground integration engineers responsible for building the connective tissue between new and legacy ground systems
- Ensure teams deliver robust, scalable, and secure systems at startup speed
- Understanding of existing systems architectures that support ground and orbital systems contributing to government and commercial space systems
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in computer science, information technology, mathematics or a STEM discipline or 8+ years of professional experience in software engineering
- 5+ years of network system integration experience at the department or org level
- Experience with the deployment and integration of sophisticated hardware and software systems
- Proven success building and scaling high-impact engineering teams
- Strong track record of delivering enterprise-scale solutions in fast-paced environments
- Strong working knowledge with multiple cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP
- Strong working knowledge with multiple API technologies (REST, gRPC, WSDL/SOAP)
- Strong proficiency in one or more strongly typed programming languages such as C#.NET, Go, Java, or similar.
- Deep experience with classified systems and their security requirements
Nice to Have
- Experience in aerospace, manufacturing, or mission-critical systems
- Familiarity with cloud systems, CI/CD, and container orchestration (Docker/Kubernetes).
- A track record of fostering team culture, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
- Deep empathy for the challenges that business development teams and associated engineering teams must solve and be able to help in prioritization
Compensation and Benefits:
- Base salary range for this role is $160,000 - $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
- 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.
