Principal-level dynamics engineer leading loads derivation, simulation workflows, and dynamic testing for satellites across ground and on-orbit operations. Mentors junior engineers, sets technical direction on analysis tools, and owns coupled loads analysis. Series D company scaling to 100 satellites/year.
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
As a technical leader on our growing dynamics team, you will own the successful derivation of loads and environments for K2 Space satellites during ground transportation, launch, deployment, and on-orbit operation. You will build software tools and establish simulation workflows to support a variety of analyses in frequency and time domains. Within your first couple of months, you will devise development testing to correlate physics models with measured data. You will also own qualification and acceptance testing of satellite hardware at the component and vehicle level. As we continue to refine our designs and scale for the future, you will set technical direction, mentor junior engineers, and deliver well-derived requirements and engineering insights to make reliable and mass-producible spacecraft.
Responsibilities
Drive the definition and execution of dynamic testing at the component, subsystem, vehicle, and stack level, including test planning and coordination, test analysis, and model correlation
Lead innovation on cross-disciplinary analysis and test methodologies
Own and evolve spacecraft dynamics approaches to optimize for the company’s business
Develop time- and frequency-domain physics models using finite element analysis (e.g., Nastran) and custom-built software (e.g., Python), and set technical direction for shared analysis tooling, including version control and continuous-integration practices for analysis and test-data pipelines
Create software tools to support data processing and simulation frameworks
Collaborate with design engineers, analysts, and external customers to develop payload products
Apply first principles in developing frameworks for both dynamics and non-dynamics analyses
Lead code reviews for simulation and analysis tools
Utilize analysis and test to provide data-driven engineering guidance and decisions
Write high quality technical documentation of tests and simulations
Mentor and provide technical guidance to junior and mid-level dynamics engineers, contributing to the growth of the analysis team
Derive loads, environments, and other dynamics-driven design and test criteria for payload and hardware teams, including vibration, shock, and jitter maximum predicted environments and response-limit derivation (e.g., NASA 7004C), and develop new response-limiting methodologies as needed
Own coupled loads analysis (CLA) for vehicle programs, including bus-and-payload superelement/Craig-Bampton model builds for ascent and on-orbit dynamic environments, through test-level definition
Lead jitter and pointing performance analysis, including Monte Carlo dispersion modeling and dynamic coupling with GNC control loops
Direct vibroacoustic analysis, including patch-method framework development, and lead acoustic testing of the vehicle
Drive definition of vehicle- and stack-level modal test and analysis methodologies, including ground and flight test correlation
Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, physics, or mathematics
8+ years of work experience in dynamics from industry or academia
Nice to have
Master’s degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, physics, or mathematics
Strong understanding of low and high frequency dynamics (vibration, acoustics, shock, modal testing)
Deep experience with testing and measurements
Deep experience with finite element analysis software (e.g. FEMAP, Nastran)
Strong experience in software development in Python
Deep knowledge of digital signal processing, statistics, and structural mechanics
Capable of identifying and solving complex problems with little to no supervision or direction
Excellent communication skills of analysis and test insights.
Ability to work in a fast-paced, unstructured start-up environment.
Experience with coupled loads analysis (CLA) and Craig-Bampton/superelement model reduction techniques
Experience with jitter and pointing performance analysis, including Monte Carlo methods for dispersion modeling
Familiarity with rigid-body dynamics and GNC-coupled analysis, including dynamic coupling with controllers and pointing impacts
Experience with multibody dynamics simulation, including rigid-body dynamics and familiarity with Lagrangian formulations; familiarity with LS-DYNA is a plus
Experience with vibroacoustic analysis (e.g., patch, diffuse-field, Statistical Energy Analysis (SEA, e.g., Wave6), or Boundary Element Method (BEM))
Familiarity with HALT/HASS testing and dynamics-driven PCBA-level failure mechanisms (e.g., solder joint fatigue, component lead flexure)
Experience building and maintaining shared analysis tooling, including version control and continuous-integration practices
Compensation and Benefits:
Base salary range for this role is $190,000 - $235,000 + 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.
