Solar Design Engineer

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 Role

Critical to achieving K2's vision of deploying at scale across MEO, GEO, cis-lunar, and deep space are the solar arrays. As a Solar Engineer, you will contribute to the design, manufacturing, testing, and deployment of high-power solar arrays for some of the largest spacecraft ever flown. You'll work across technical domains; from module technology and electrical power systems to deployment mechanisms, structures, and production — learning from experienced engineers while taking on meaningful ownership of hardware from day one.

First 6 months: Support solar array subsystem development through analysis, component-level testing, and manufacturing process documentation.

First year: Own specific build and test activities for flight hardware, from assembly through acceptance testing.

First two years: Contribute to full lifecycle solar array development across multiple vehicle builds, developing expertise in both design and production.

Responsibilities

• Support the design and analysis of solar array electrical and mechanical subsystems
• Assist in the development and maintenance of electrical performance degradation models across environment variations
• Execute assembly-level acceptance and qualification test procedures and document results
• Collaborate with avionics, structures/mechanisms, software, and production teams on integration activities and test campaigns
• Support design reviews with analysis products and test data
• Contribute to manufacturing processes for in-house fabrication and assembly, including work instructions, in-process checkouts, and end-of-line testing
• Participate in on-orbit data review and anomaly investigation efforts

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in physics, materials science, mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, electrical engineering, or a related technical field
• Internship in at least one of: photovoltaics, power systems, or materials characterization
• Hands-on hardware experience through internships, research, design competitions, or extracurricular projects

Nice to Have

• Internship or research experience with solar arrays or power systems for space applications
• Exposure to solar cell or module characterization techniques (IV curves, electroluminescence, flash testing)
• Familiarity with structural analysis tools (Nastran, ANSYS, or equivalent) or thermal analysis tools
• Familiarity with space environment effects on materials, including radiation, thermal cycling, and atomic oxygen
• Experience with CAD software (NX, CATIA, SolidWorks) and practical GD&T application
• Exposure to manufacturing processes such as soldering, layup, or electromechanical assembly
• Python or MATLAB proficiency for data analysis
• Independent and self-motivated mindset with strong organizational, written, and oral communication skills

Compensation and Benefits:

• Base salary range for this role is $100,000 - $140,000 + 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