Data Engineer

K2 Space; Los Angeles (CA); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

Medical/dental/vision coverage

Life insurance

Parental leave

Equity

Job summary

K2 Space in Torrance, CA is seeking engineers to join the enterprise software team building the digital backbone that powers satellite design, manufacturing, and mission operations. You will develop data solutions that connect design, production, and mission control, enabling faster from concept to orbit.

Ideal candidates have a CS/IT/STEM background or 5+ years of software experience, with strong SQL, AWS RDS, Docker, Kubernetes, REST APIs and CI/CD skills.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in CS/IT/Math or STEM field or 5+ years of software engineering experience.
• Experience with relational databases (MS SQL, PostgreSQL, Snowflake).
• Experience with hosted database services (AWS RDS, AWS PostgreSQL).
• Experience with CI/CD deployment, Docker, Kubernetes, and REST APIs.

Responsibilities

• Support highly reliable data solutions across factory floors to mission control.
• Maintain data designs improving spacecraft design, build, and operations.
• Collaborate with engineers and leaders to design efficient solutions.
• Ensure data solutions are highly available and correct.
• Use data to prioritize work and maximize impact.
• Contribute to a culture of transparency, empathy, integrity, and engineering excellence.
• Mentor team members and promote strong engineering practices.

Skills

CI/CD deployment

REST API design

Collaborative engineering

Education

Bachelor's degree in computer science, information technology, mathematics or a STEM discipline

5+ years of professional software engineering experience

Tools

MS SQL

PostgreSQL

Snowflake

AWS RDS

AWS PostgreSQL

Docker

Kubernetes

REST API

Job description

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.

Our enterprise software team builds the digital backbone that powers K2 Space’s satellite design, manufacturing, and mission operations. We develop tools that connect engineering, production, and mission control into a seamless ecosystem — enabling our hardware to get from concept to orbit faster than ever before.

We’re looking for engineers who are curious, collaborative, and driven to deliver mission-critical software that helps turn ambitious space projects into reality.

Responsibilities

• Support highly reliable data solutions used across K2 Space — from factory floors to mission control.
• Maintain data design that improve how we design, build, and operate our spacecraft.
• Partner closely with engineers, business partners, and leaders across disciplines to understand their challenges and design efficient solutions.
• Maintain data solution to ensure high availability and correctness.
• Use data to drive prioritization of work and design of solutions to create the largest positive impact.
• Actively contribute to building a culture of transparency, empathy, integrity, and engineering excellence.
• Actively learning from staff members and help team members build good culture and engineering practices.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, information technology, mathematics or a STEM discipline or 5+ years of professional experience in software engineering.
• 2+ years of working experience with structure databases such as MS SQL, PostgreSQL, Snowflake.
• 2+ years of in-depth experience with hosted database solutions such as AWS RDS, AWS PostgreSQL.
• 1+ years of working experience with CI/CD deployment.
• Working experience with Docker.
• Working experience with Kubernetes (prefer AWS EKS).
• Working experience with REST API.

Nice to Have

• Experience with distributed data designs such as caching, sharding, data validation.
• Experience with public cloud data warehouse solution.
• Experience with data designs for physical product manufacturing.
• Working experience with data analytic such as AWS Redshift.
• Working experience with data migration process, including data normalization, schema mapping, data serialization, data pipeline, ETL, real-time or near real-time data replication, data mirroring.

Compensation and Benefits:

• Base salary range for this role is $120,000 - $160,000 + equity in the company
• Salary will be based on several factors including, but not limitedto: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.

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.

We value in-person collaboration, and prefer candidates that are able to work alongside our team in Torrance, California. However our software team does allow for remote work with the expectation that you spend 1 week per month onsite. Are you open to working at our Headquarters in Torrance, California?