Senior Mission Payload Engineer – National Security Space

K2 Space; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 175,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity in the company

Comprehensive benefits including PTO

Job summary

K2 Space is seeking a Principal Mission Payload Engineer for National Security Programs in Los Angeles. You will act as the primary technical interface between K2 Space, customers, and partners, supporting the full program lifecycle from early proposals to on-orbit operations.

The role requires strong multi-disciplinary engineering skills, hands-on experience, and excellent communication to collaborate with National Security customers and stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline is required.
• 5+ years in aerospace/space with spacecraft, launch vehicles, or payloads.
• 2+ years in technical project management or systems engineering.

Responsibilities

• Manage payload integration across the full satellite lifecycle, from proposals through on-orbit commissioning.
• Lead technical discussions and represent K2 Space in design reviews and customer engagements.
• Define, negotiate, and document payload interfaces (mechanical, electrical, software, power, data).
• Develop and execute payload interface verification and validation plans.
• Coordinate cross-functional integration with vehicle engineering, avionics, software, propulsion, thermal, and AI&T teams.
• Train new team members and develop common workflows to improve operations.

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Job description

K2 Space is seeking a Principal Mission Payload Engineer for National Security Programs in Los Angeles. You will act as the primary technical interface between K2 Space, customers, and partners, supporting the full program lifecycle from early proposals to on-orbit operations.

The role requires strong multi-disciplinary engineering skills, hands-on experience, and excellent communication to collaborate with National Security customers and stakeholders.