Senior Full-Stack Software Engineer (Mission Operations)

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 including Altimeter Capital, Redpoint Ventures, T. Rowe Price, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Alpine Space Ventures, and others – with an additional $500M 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.

We're a team that believes the future lies in building large, high-powered satellites that can handle multiple orbits. With multiple launches planned through 2026 and 2027, we're Building Bigger to develop the solar system and become 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 groundbreaking Series C space startup, we’d love for you to apply.

The Role

K2 is working towards our first launch and operation of our Mega class satellite bus. Quickly after that, we will expand to operating many satellites at a single time, followed by many constellations. Your immediate focus will be designing and developing the frontend and backend of our internal Operations Software that will be used to control and monitor satellites and payloads. With the software stack being written in Rust, this application should at least be able to play nice with the existing set of software solutions, if not fully integrate with them. This application will need to scale for supporting multiple constellations and interface securely with both internal Operations and external customer operations teams. You’ll collaborate with Engineering teams across the company to capture requirements and bring our Operations Center to life in order to support our growing customer needs. This role requires in person presence at our headquarters in Torrance, CA.

Responsibilities

• Design and create interfaces to enable and facilitate the build, testing, and operations of our vehicles and software


• Collaborate with Mission Operators and Engineers across the company to understand needs and timelines


• Perform data analysis and anomaly investigations to ensure high uptime during critical scenarios


• Support the users of your products in initial roll outs and on a continuous basis

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering, math, or a STEM discipline or 3+ years of professional experience in software engineering


• 5+ years of experience building full-stack software solutions in a professional environment

Nice to Have

• Experience with front-end languages, frameworks, and technologies (Typescript, JavaScript, Rust, HTML, CSS)


• Experience with version control, continuous integration, build, deployment, monitoring. (Bazel)


• Experience building systems that interact with a separate large code base. (Rust, C++)


• Experience with databases (PostgreSQL or similar)


• Experience developing reliable, scalable systems


• Ability to identify and correct security vulnerabilities


• Experience with Docker and/or Kubernetes

Compensation and Benefits:

• Base salary range for this role is $150,000 - $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.