Senior Tooling Engineer

K2 Space Corporation; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 175,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

Medical/dental/vision coverage

Life insurance

Paid parental leave

Job summary

A leading aerospace manufacturer in Los Angeles seeks a qualified candidate to design and fabricate tooling essential for satellite production. The role requires a bachelor's degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering, with over 5 years of industry experience in mechanical design and hands-on fabrication. Compensation includes a competitive salary ranging from $140,000 to $175,000 plus equity in the company, along with a comprehensive benefits package.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of industry experience with mechanical and/or electromechanical design and analysis.
• Experience designing, building, and testing mechanical assemblies for aerospace applications.
• Hands-on experience in fabrication processes.

Responsibilities

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

Skills

Mechanical design

Electromechanical design

Hands-on fabrication

CAD software

FEA software

Structural analysis

GD&T application

Project management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, aerospace, or relevant engineering discipline

Tools

NX (Unigraphics)

Teamcenter PLM

Simcenter 3D

Femap

Hypermesh

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 in funding and an additional $500M in signed contracts, we are mass‑producing high‑power satellite platforms for missions from LEO to deep space.

We believe that the era of heavy‑lift launch vehicles offers unprecedented opportunity for mass‑abundant spacecraft. K2 satellites are engineered to survive the harshest radiation environments and fully capitalize on today’s and tomorrow’s massive rockets, delivering unmatched capability at constellation scale and across multiple orbits.

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, you will work closely with production teams to shape build process decisions, architect tooling systems, and execute individual tools that support scaling our manufacturing rate and performing large‑scale qualification testing for our multi‑ton spacecraft. You will implement and deliver tooling solutions through hands‑on build and collaboration with in‑house and external fabrication resources, supporting end‑customer teams and validating tool performance. You’ll help shape K2’s foundational tooling strategies as we pursue 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 of tooling, 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 (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, 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.
• Independent and self‑motivated mindset, with strong organizational, written, and oral communication skills.

Compensation & Benefits

• Base salary range: $140,000 – $175,000 + equity in the company.
• Salary determined by 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, and certain protected individuals. The person hired for this role must have access to export‑controlled information and items and therefore must be a U.S. person as defined by 22 C.F.R. and be eligible for a federally issued export control license.

Equal Opportunity

k2 Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment is governed on the basis of merit, competence, and qualifications and is not influenced 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.