Senior Optical Systems Engineer — Space Payloads + Equity

K2 Space Corporation; Los Angeles (CA); In loco; USD 110.000 - 280.000; Tempo pieno

Vantaggi offerti da questo lavoro

Equity in the company

Comprehensive benefits

Descrizione del lavoro

K2 Space Corporation is seeking an Optical Systems Engineer to define, design, test, and deploy optics benches across the company’s payload suite. You will influence feasibility, performance, and manufacturability from concept to on‑orbit commissioning.

The role includes system architecture, tolerance analysis, risk-reduction planning, and close collaboration with the satellite bus and hardware teams to meet aggressive schedule and reliability goals in a high‑velocity space startup environment.

Competenze

• 8+ years of experience in the design, manufacture, and test of optical systems.
• Experience shaping optical systems across all product lifecycle phases: requirements, design, analysis, tolerance, build, test, deploy.

Mansioni

• Deliver optical benches for a suite of high-volume optical payloads across UV to LWIR.
• Lead system architecture, SNR budgeting, and model-driven analysis (stray light, fiber coupling).
• Perform detailed optical design and tolerancing.
• Develop plans: risk reduction timelines, labor division, test strategy.
• Oversee environmental qualification and reliability testing.
• Provide technical leadership to vendors and partners, including qualification and supply-chain development.
• Coordinate lab characterization, system validation, and on-orbit commissioning planning.
• Collaborate with optical and satellite bus teams to define feasible, optimal requirements.
• Prepare design reviews to gain stakeholder buy-in and align hardware/software/test/manufacturing teams.
• Forecast staffing needs, define roles, and mentor engineers for future growth.
• Drive in-house manufacturing emphasis: equipment evaluation, factory layout, work instructions, and end-of-line tests.

Conoscenze

Optical design

Systems engineering

Manufacturing interfacing

Technical leadership

Formazione

Bachelor’s degree in physics/optics/engineering

Descrizione del lavoro

K2 Space Corporation is seeking an Optical Systems Engineer to define, design, test, and deploy optics benches across the company’s payload suite. You will influence feasibility, performance, and manufacturability from concept to on‑orbit commissioning.

The role includes system architecture, tolerance analysis, risk-reduction planning, and close collaboration with the satellite bus and hardware teams to meet aggressive schedule and reliability goals in a high‑velocity space startup environment.