Senior Tooling 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

Equity in the company

Job summary

K2Spacecorporation is seeking a motivated tooling engineer to drive satellite production success. The role involves designing and fabricating tooling systems critical for the manufacturing process, collaborating with production teams, and implementing tooling solutions.

Applicants should have a Bachelor’s degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering and 5+ years of experience in mechanical design, along with hands-on fabrication skills. A competitive salary range of $140,000 - $175,000 is offered, along with a comprehensive benefits package.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in mechanical or electromechanical design and analysis.
• Experience designing and testing mechanical assemblies for aerospace applications.
• Hands-on fabrication skills for tooling development.

Responsibilities

• Design and fabricate tooling systems for satellite production.
• Lead development of subsystem production fixtures.
• Drive continuous improvement of tooling and production operations.

Skills

Mechanical design

Electromechanical design

Hands-on fabrication experience

Education

Bachelor's degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering

Tools

CAD software

FEA software

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 are 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 are 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 would love for you to apply.

The Role

You will own the success of custom tooling and structures that will be key to our satellite production and operations. In your first year at K2, you’ll work closely with the production teams to help shape build process decisions, architect tooling systems, and execute on individual tools that will support scaling our manufacturing and operations rate and support performing large-scale qualification testing for our multi-ton spacecraft. You will implement and deliver tooling solutions via a combination of hands‑on build and collaboration with in‑house and out‑of‑house fabrication resources. Throughout the process you will be hands‑on support, educating end customer teams and validating tool performance alongside them. You’ll have an opportunity to help shape the company’s foundational tooling strategies and processes as we look forward to our mass‑abundant goals.

Responsibilities

• Design and fabricate tooling and material handling systems for K2 Space satellite bus and associated systems and subsystems
• Lead development of satellite subsystem production fixtures from project kickoff through production and beyond
• Drive hands‑on development tooling development, sizing and structural analysis of ground support equipment, and continuous improvement of tooling and production operations
• Support the development of ground test setups, flight hardware, development fixtures, and external customer tooling needs
• Collaborate with a cross‑functional team to establish product requirements, tooling methods and project development schedules

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, aerospace, or other relevant engineering discipline
• Experience with CAD or FEA software packages (experience can be in a professional, academic, entrepreneurial, or hobby setting)
• 5+ years of industry experience with mechanical and/or electromechanical design and analysis
• Hands‑on fabrication experience
• Experience designing, building, and testing mechanical assemblies and tooling for aerospace or terrestrial applications (satellite mechanical systems, payloads, launch vehicles, propulsion systems, and/or aircraft structures and mechanisms)

Nice to Have

• Experience with shipping, materials handling, and clean room operations
• Experience with the practical application of GD&T
• Experience with NX (Unigraphics) and Teamcenter PLM
• Experience with performing structural analysis (Simcenter 3D, Femap, or Hypermesh)
• Demonstrated ability to own mechanical hardware or systems within an integrated engineering team
• Demonstrated understanding of structural analysis and failure modes of complex mechanical systems in space environments and operations
• Experience with actuators, controls, data acquisition, and dedicated test or automation equipment (examples include actuated positioning tools, motor dynos, vibration tables, environmental data loggers, motorsports DAQ)
• Independent and self‑motivated mindset, with strong organizational, written, and oral communication skills

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

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 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.