Power Systems Engineer

K2 Space; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

Medical/dental/vision coverage

Life insurance

Paid parental leave

Job summary

K2 Space is hiring a Power Systems Engineer in Los Angeles, California. You'll develop and test high-fidelity electrical system models for spacecraft power systems. Responsibilities include creating SPICE models and validating them. Candidates should have a bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field and at least one year of relevant experience. The position offers a competitive salary between $100,000 - $150,000 plus equity, along with comprehensive benefits including paid time off and medical coverage.

Qualifications

• 1+ years working in Avionics Systems, Electrical Power Systems, or similar role.
• Strong grasp of circuit and basic energy/power balance fundamentals.

Responsibilities

• Develop SPICE representations and models for power system parasitics.
• Plan and execute test campaigns to validate models.
• Code high-fidelity simulations of in-flight power and energy budgets.

Skills

Electrical Engineering

Avionics Systems

Circuit Fundamentals

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Physics, or related discipline

Tools

LTSpice

Python

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 U.S. 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

As a Power Systems Engineer at K2, you’ll develop and test the high‑fidelity electrical system models that ensure our high voltage, high power system behaves predictably and reliably. In this role you’ll dive deep into the first principles of power systems, from creating full‑fidelity SPICE models of power system parasitics and dynamics to validating and tuning these models against reality. Your work will guide key architectural decisions: how power flows through the spacecraft, how faults are isolated, how filters are sized for EMI compatibility, and how the system operates reliably through worst‑case faults. If you enjoy hands‑on investigation, and you want to influence the core architecture of next‑generation spacecraft power systems, this is the place to be.

Responsibilities

• Develop SPICE representations and models to evaluate power system parasitics, like battery impedance, harness reactance, and filters.
• Plan and execute test campaigns to validate these models against reality.
• Code high‑fidelity simulations of in‑flight power and energy budgets.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Physics, or related discipline.
• 1+ years working in Avionics Systems, Electrical Power Systems, Electrical Hardware Design, or similar role.
• Strong grasp of circuit and basic energy/power balance fundamentals.

Nice to Have

• Strong capability to independently reason through designing for fault tolerance and reliability.
• Familiarity with failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA).
• Experience working with LTSpice or similar SPICE simulator.
• Experience writing software in Python, Rust or other language for test automation.
• Ability to perform impedance measurements and loop gain measurements.
• Experience constructing representative circuit models of electrical hardware system components, like batteries and harnesses.

Compensation and Benefits

• Base salary range for this role is $100,000 - $150,000 + 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.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

K2 Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment 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.