Senior Automation & Controls Engineer

K2Spacecorporation; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 175,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive benefits package

Paid time off

Medical/dental/vision coverage

Paid parental leave

Job summary

K2Spacecorporation in Los Angeles is seeking an Automation Engineer to drive production system integration and automation projects. The ideal candidate will work with mechanical and electrical engineers to enhance our production capabilities with innovative automation solutions.

This role requires a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant engineering field and over 5 years of experience in high-volume manufacturing environments. A competitive salary range of $140,000–$175,000 plus equity is offered, along with a comprehensive benefits package.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in high-volume manufacturing or hands-on engineering environment.
• 2+ years of experience in industrial automation and controls.
• Strong hands-on aptitude and willingness to work with hardware.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with engineers for seamless production automation.
• Conceive and develop production tooling for automation.
• Own hands-on buildout and qualification of automation projects.

Skills

Industrial automation

Electromechanical integration

Precision assembly

Engineering drawings and schematics

Robotics

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering

Tools

CAD software (NX or equivalent)

Job description

The Role

You’ll be at the heart of bringing the production system to life. K2 has a strong push to vertically integrate our production system, which means you’ll work side‑by‑side with the production and engineering team to concept, develop, and roll out various automation projects to support this vision.

This role is built for someone who executes quickly, thrives in a fast‑paced environment, and wants to take ownership early. You’ll draw on your deep technical intuition, contribute to systems that scale, and have impact in increasingly complex challenges as we push towards higher‑rate production in an environment unlike anywhere else.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with mechanical, electrical, and production engineers to ensure seamless production automation across hardware and control layers.
• Conceive, design, and develop production tooling electromechanical automation assemblies either in‑house or through vendors.
• Own hands‑on buildout, activation, and qualification of automation and controls projects across the production line spanning machine design, robotics, computer vision, and other systems.
• Shape and implement our HMI strategy and PLC automation in a way that makes machines easy to operate with repeatable results.
• Understand build flow, production reliability, and process control to implement strategies to increase production takt rate and first‑pass yield.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, manufacturing, aerospace, materials, or other relevant engineering discipline.
• 5+ years of experience in a high‑volume manufacturing, production, or hands‑on engineering environment.
• 2+ years of experience working in industrial automation and controls in a production environment.
• Strong hands‑on aptitude and willingness to work directly with hardware on the production floor.
• In‑depth knowledge of precision assembly or electromechanical integration processes.
• Ability to generate and review engineering drawings, schematics, and technical documentation.
• Experience setting up a manufacturing/production floor for first‑article builds through production rate.

Nice to Have

• Full‑stack experience with industrial automation hardware & controls, PLC/HMI/Robotics software control stacks, electrical and fluid schematics.
• Exposure to space, defense, or other high‑reliability manufacturing environments.
• Experience designing automation systems for manufacturability.
• Demonstrated experience developing production processes from the ground up including driving design improvements for manufacturing.
• Experience working closely with technicians and build tooling.
• Familiarity with CAD software (NX or equivalent) and geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T).

Compensation and Benefits

• Base salary range for this role is $140,000–$175,000 + 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.