HITL Engineer

K2 Space; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive benefits

Paid time off

Equity opportunity

Job summary

K2 Space is seeking a Hardware-In-The-Loop (HITL) Testbed Engineer to design, implement, and maintain critical test assets that simulate flight-like hardware and high-fidelity software environments.

You will support critical tests, validate system designs, and ensure parity with flight vehicles across missions. The role emphasizes scalable HITL configurations and precise documentation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical, aerospace, mechanical, computer, or other engineering discipline
• 2+ years of experience in an integration/test/automation engineering role
• Hands‑on experience with HITL or Flatsat software verification testbeds
• Experience designing, building, and maintaining test racks and harnessing
• Experience testing and troubleshooting integrated avionics systems and their related components
• Hands‑on experience using electrical test equipment (PSU, Oscilloscope, DMM, etc.) and with ESD sensitive equipment
• Excellent conflict resolution and negotiation skills

Responsibilities

• Work with responsible engineers and software engineers to design a high-fidelity vehicle testbed ensuring high technical rigor and associated documentation
• Operate the HITL testbed in support of system validation, verification, and investigations, including on-orbit operations
• Receive, integrate, and test flight representative hardware into HITL testbeds
• Collaborate with design and systems engineers to create and build hardware simulation equipment
• Own, maintain, and document HITL table configuration and build out, including the supporting GSE racks
• Create and release harness drawings for required ground support and test equipment
• Investigate and troubleshoot testbed issues and drive further actions to improve future designs
• Design, maintain, and operate HITL racks deployed to customers for integration

Skills

HITL/Flatsat testing

Test racks & harnessing

Avionics integration testing

Electrical test equipment

Conflict resolution

Python

Rust

Linux

Docker

Contract interfaces

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering

Tools

Docker

Flatsat

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 $450M from leading investors including Altimeter Capital, Redpoint Ventures, T. Rowe Price, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Alpine Space Ventures, and others – with an additional $500M 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 planned through 2026 and 2027, we're Building Bigger to develop the solar system and become 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 groundbreaking Series C space startup, we’d love for you to apply.

The Role

AsaHardware-In-The-Loop(HITL)Testbed Engineer,you’llown designing,implementing, andmaintainingcritical test assetsintegratingflight-like hardware andhigh-fidelitysimulation.Youwillsupport critical testsvalidatingsystem design, verifying flight and ground software, andoperationsrelated inactive missionsin space.Your attention to detail and preparation will ensure thattheflatsattestbed is ready fortasks thatcoulddirectlyimpactmission success.Knowing how to scale thesetestbeds using automation andflexible configurationwillenable teams tohaveaccurateresultsand parity with flight vehicleswith various missionobjectives.

Responsibilities

• Work withresponsible engineers andsoftware engineers to design ahigh-fidelityvehicle testbedensuring high technical rigor and associated documentation.
• Operate the HITL testbed in support ofsystem validation, verification, and investigations, including on-orbitoperations.
• Receive, integrate, and test flight representative hardwareinto HITL testbeds.
• Collaborate with design and systems engineers tocreateand buildhardware simulation equipment.
• Own,maintain, and documentHITL table configuration and build out, including thesupporting GSEracks.
• Create and release harness drawings for required ground supportand testequipment.
• Investigate and troubleshoottestbedissuesand drive further actions to improve future designs.
• Design,maintain, and operate HITLracks deployed to customers for integration.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical, aerospace, mechanical, computer, or other engineering discipline
• 2+ years of experience in an integration/test/automation engineering role (includes internships and design/build/compete extracurricular projects)
• Hands‑on experience with HITL orFlatsatsoftware verification testbeds.
• Experience designing, building, andmaintainingtest racks and harnessing.
• Experience testing and troubleshootingintegrated avionics systemsand their related components.
• Hands‑on experience using electrical test equipment (PSU, Oscilloscope, DMM, etc.)and with ESD sensitive equipment.
• Excellent conflict resolution and negotiation skills

Nice to Have

• Proficient in Python and/or Rust
• Experience with Linux systems
• Experience managing contractual interfaces (e.g.customer, launch vehicle)
• Experience withcontainerized solutions likeDocker.
• Desire to continually raise the bar of “good enough” andinnovate novel solutions for scaling HITL.

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 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 otherperks

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 by22 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.

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about ITAR here.

Voluntary Self‑Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self‑identification survey.Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiringprocess or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in aconfidential file.

As set forth in K2 Space ’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection.As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measurethe effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categoriesis as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service‑connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three‑year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

• Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
• Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
• Blind or low vision
• Cancer (past or present)
• Cardiovascular or heart disease
• Celiac disease
• Cerebral palsy
• Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
• Diabetes
• Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
• Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
• Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
• Intellectual or developmental disability
• Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
• Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
• Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
• Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
• Neurodivergence, for example, attention‑deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
• Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
• Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
• Short stature (dwarfism)
• Traumatic brain injury

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