Dynamics Engineer

K2 Space Corporation; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Comprehensive benefits

Paid time off

Job summary

K2 Space Corporation seeks a dynamics-focused engineer to own the development and testing of loads and environments for satellite platforms across ground, launch, and on-orbit operations.

You will build physics models (FEA/Nastran, Python), develop data processing tools, and deliver well-supported design criteria while collaborating with design engineers and external customers in a fast-paced startup environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required in mechanical/ aerospace/ physics/ mathematics.
• 1+ years of work experience in dynamics.
• Nice to have Master’s degree and exposure to CLA/ vibroacoustic concepts.

Responsibilities

• Support dynamic testing at the component and subsystem level, including test planning and coordination, test analysis, and model correlation.
• Develop physics models using finite element analysis (e.g., Nastran) or custom-built software (e.g., Python).
• Create software tools to support data processing and simulation frameworks.
• Collaborate with design engineers, analysts, and external customers to develop satellite products.
• Apply first principles in developing frameworks for both dynamics and non-dynamics analyses.
• Contribute to code reviews for simulation and analysis tools.
• Write high-quality technical documentation of test and simulations.
• Support derivation of loads, environments, and other dynamics-driven design criteria.

Skills

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, physics, or mathematics

Master’s degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, physics, or mathematics

Tools

FEMAP

Nastran

Python

LS-DYNA

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.

The Role

As a member of our growing dynamics team, you will help 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 be responsible for delivering well-derived requirements and engineering insights to make reliable and mass-producible spacecraft.

Responsibilities

• Support dynamic testing at the component and subsystem level, including test planning and coordination, test analysis, and model correlation
• Develop physics models using finite element analysis (e.g., Nastran) or custom-built software (e.g., Python)
• Create software tools to support data processing and simulation frameworks
• Collaborate with design engineers, analysts, and external customers to develop satellite products
• Apply first principles in developing frameworks for both dynamics and non-dynamics analyses
• Contribute to 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 test and simulations
• Support derivation of loads, environments, and other dynamics-driven design and test criteria, including vibration, shock, and jitter maximum predicted environments and response-limit derivation (e.g., NASA 7004C)
• Support coupled loads analysis (CLA), including superelement/Craig-Bampton model builds
• Assist with jitter and pointing performance analysis, including Monte Carlo dispersion modeling
• Assist with vibroacoustic analysis, including patch-method framework development
• Support modal test and analysis activities, including ground and flight test correlation

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, physics, or mathematics
• 1+ years of work experience in dynamics either from industry, research, internships or academic projects

Nice to have

• Master’s degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, physics, or mathematics
• Strong understanding of low and high frequency dynamics (vibration, shock, modal testing)
• Experience with testing and measurements
• Experience with finite element analysis software (e.g. FEMAP, Nastran)
• Software development experience in Python
• Strong 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.
• Exposure to coupled loads analysis (CLA) and Craig-Bampton/superelement model reduction techniques
• Exposure to jitter and pointing performance analysis and Monte Carlo methods for dispersion modeling
• Familiarity with rigid-body dynamics and GNC-coupled analysis concepts
• Exposure to multibody dynamics simulation concepts, including rigid-body dynamics; familiarity with LS-DYNA is a plus
• Exposure to vibroacoustic analysis concepts (e.g., patch method, Statistical Energy Analysis, Boundary Element Method)
• Familiarity with HALT/HASS testing concepts and dynamics-driven PCBA-level failure mechanisms
• Exposure to shared analysis tooling practices, including version control

Compensation And Benefits

• Base salary range for this role is $110,000 - $140,000 + 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

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.