Electrical Manufacturing Engineer

Socket.dev; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

Medical/dental/vision coverage

Life insurance

Paid parental leave

Job summary

K2 Space is seeking a manufacturing-focused engineer to work with design teams early in the process, ensuring manufacturability, building the first prototype, and defining flows for production. You will test new techniques for complex PCBA and avionics assemblies, collaborating with mechanical teams on electromechanical integration.

In the first year, you will implement advanced manufacturing methods on flight hardware and scale them for high-rate production, driving design improvements for

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in electrical, mechanical, aerospace, or related engineering field.
• 3+ years in a high-volume, rapid production environment in manufacturing, integration, and/or design engineering.
• Familiarity with IPC standards (IPC-A-610, IPC-A-600, J-STD-001).
• Experience setting up a manufacturing/production floor for first article builds.
• Experience designing and implementing technologies for avionics subassembly manufacturing (PCBA, wire harness, enclosures).
• Experience providing DFX guidance to design teams across PCBs, PCBAs, and mechanical assemblies.
• GD&T proficiency and ability to review electrical/mechanical designs.
• Familiarity with conformal coating processes (selective spray, dip, brush) and related inspection/rework per IPC-CC-830/NASA-STD-8739.1

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with design engineers to guide initial design, flight hardware, and tooling decisions.
• Develop innovative manufacturing systems for spacecraft electronic assemblies.
• Create custom tools and processes to support manufacturing technologies (MES).
• Demonstrate advanced manufacturing techniques on prototype flight hardware.
• Develop subassembly build flow and efficient production flow aligned with takt times.
• Partner with manufacturing engineers to perform R&D of novel manufacturing technologies.

Skills

Problem solving

Cross-functional collaboration

Attention to detail

Strong communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in electrical, mechanical, aerospace, or related engineering field

Tools

NX CAD

GD&T

MES software

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.

The Role

Partnering with design engineers early on in the process, you will ensure manufacturability, build the first prototype, design the build flow and fixturing, and finalize the process for transition to production. Once transitioned, you will have the opportunity to make a positive impact scaling production to meet K2's ever-growing demand. You will test out new techniques for manufacturing complex PCBAs, harnessing, and integrated electronics systems. You'll also partner closely with mechanical teams on the electromechanical assemblies and machined components these electronics integrate into. In your first 6 months you will develop manufacturing methods and tooling for integrated avionics systems, define manufacturing flows for electronic subsystems, and collaborate with design teams to provide Design-for-Excellence (DFX) guidance across PCBs, PCBAs, machined components, and higher-level assemblies. In your first year you will implement these advanced manufacturing techniques on flight hardware and scale the technology you develop to high-rate production.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with design engineers to provide guidance to design engineers across PCBs, PCBAs, machined components, and assemblies for initial design, flight hardware, and tooling
• Develop innovative manufacturing systems for spacecraft electronic assemblies, including electromechanical sub-assemblies, and harnessing.
• Create custom tools and processes to support the manufacturing technologies you create, including Manufacturing Execution System (MES) software
• Demonstrate the advanced manufacturing techniques on prototypes, working with the design teams to continuously improve the manufacturability of the designs
• Develop the subassembly build flow and iterate to create an efficient production flow for the satellite and ensure that build times align with current takt times
• Partner with a team of advanced manufacturing engineers to perform R&D of novel manufacturing technologies for current and future spacecraft products

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in electrical, mechanical, aero space, or other relevant engineering discipline
• 3+ years of experience in a high volume, rapid production environment in a manufacturing, integration, and/or design engineering role
• Demonstrated results with product development and/or process improvements
• Familiarity with IPC standards (e.g., IPC-A-610, IPC-A-600, J-STD-001) for PCB/PCBA workmanship and inspection
• Experience setting up a manufacturing/production floor for first article builds
• Experience designing and implementing technologies for avionics subassembly manufacturing including PCBA assembly, wire harness manufacturing and PCBA/mechanical enclosure assembly
• Experience providing DFX guidance to design teams across PCBs, PCBAs, machined components, and mechanical assemblies
• Experience with GD&T (geometric dimensioning and tolerancing) and mechanical assembly drawings, with the ability to review and provide feedback on electrical and mechanical designs
• Familiarity with conformal coating processes (selective spray, dip, or brush application) and associated inspection/rework methods for PCBAs, per standards such as IPC-CC-830 and NASA-STD-8739.1

Nice to Have

• Strong understanding of IPC standards (e.g., IPC-A-610, IPC-A-600, J-STD-001) for PCB/PCBA workmanship and inspection
• Experience with conformal coating processes (selective spray, dip, or brush application) and associated inspection/rework methods for PCBAs, per standards such as IPC-CC-830 and NASA-STD-8739.1
• Experience designing tooling for electromechanical subassemblies and electronics
• Demonstrated experience developing production processes from the ground up, including driving design improvements for manufacturing
• Experience working closely with technicians and build tooling
• Experience with aerospace manufacturing standards such as soldering standards, torque specifications, and quality assurance standards
• Familiarity with CAD software (NX or equivalent) and geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T)
• Experience working with MES to set up the foundation for procedure creation and documenting non-conformances

Compensation and Benefits:

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

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.