Solar Equipment Engineer

K2 Space; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive benefits

Paid time off

Medical/dental/vision coverage

Paid parental leave

Job summary

K2 Space is seeking a Solar Equipment Engineer to own the automated equipment used to manufacture and test massive solar arrays for space missions. You will coordinate installation, qualification, and sustaining of mechanical and electrical systems across our solar manufacturing line.

You will collaborate with process and manufacturing engineers to ensure high uptime, identify root causes, and implement improvements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in physics, materials science, mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, electrical engineering, or a related technical field.
• Internship in photovoltaics, power systems, semiconductor equipment, or automation.
• Hands-on hardware experience through internships, research, design competitions, or extracurricular projects.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with the facilities and process engineers to install, qualify, maintain, and continually improve solar array manufacturing equipment
• Own equipment reliability and uptime; design, execute, and analyze experiments to improve within tool process variance, tool to tool performance variance, and defect performance
• Develop and execute robust preventive and predictive maintenance strategies, spare parts programs, and tool matching protocols
• Lead root cause investigations and corrective actions within your equipment
• Work with vendors and our internal automation team on equipment design improvements, upgrades, and custom solutions
• Establish equipment performance metrics (OEE, MTBF, MTTR) and implement statistical process control for hardware stability
• Support reporting out on factory health to process engineers and company leadership through clear documentation of equipment performance and impact on downstream process

Education

Bachelor's degree in physics, materials science, mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, electrical engineering, or a related technical field

Internship in photovoltaics, power systems, semiconductor equipment, or automation

Hands-on hardware experience through internships, research, design competitions, or extracurricular projects

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 over $1 billion in total funding from leading investors including Altimeter Capital, ICONIQ, Kleiner Perkins, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Redpoint Ventures, and T. Rowe Price — and with over $1 billion in signed contracts across commercial and US government customers, we're 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 in 2027 and plans to scale to 100 satellites a year, we're Building Bigger — helping develop the solar system and build toward 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 high-growth Series D-funded company, we'd love for you to apply.

The Role

Critical to achieving K2's vision of deploying at scale across MEO, GEO, cis-lunar, and deep space are the solar arrays. As a Solar Equipment Engineer, you will own automated equipment critical to the ability to manufacture and test massive solar arrays at rate. You’ll work closely with process and manufacturing engineers ensuring consistent equipment performance, reliability, and uptime. Within this role you will be responsible for coordinating and executing the installation, qualification, and sustaining the mechanical and electrical systems of our solar manufacturing equipment.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with the facilities and process engineers to install, qualify, maintain, and continually improve solar array manufacturing equipment
• Own equipment reliability and uptime; design, execute, and analyze experiments to improve within tool process variance, tool to tool performance variance, and defect performance
• Develop and execute robust preventive and predictive maintenance strategies, spare parts programs, and tool matching protocols
• Lead root cause investigations and corrective actions within your equipment
• Work with vendors and our internal automation team on equipment design improvements, upgrades, and custom solutions
• Establish equipment performance metrics (OEE, MTBF, MTTR) and implement statistical process control for hardware stability
• Support reporting out on factory health to process engineers and company leadership through clear documentation of equipment performance and impact on downstream process

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in physics, materials science, mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, electrical engineering, or a related technical field
• Internship in at least one of: photovoltaics, power systems, semiconductor equipment, or automation
• Hands-on hardware experience through internships, research, design competitions, or extracurricular projects

Nice to Have

• Internship or research experience with solar arrays or power systems for space applications
• Exposure to solar cell or module characterization techniques (IV curves, electroluminescence, flash testing)
• Experience with automated equipment or subsystems such as robotics, motion control, vision systems, conveyors, or pneumatics
• Familiarity with PLCs, sensors, or instrumentation, or with troubleshooting electromechanical systems
• Exposure to manufacturing processes such as soldering, bonding, layup, or electromechanical assembly
• Coursework or project experience in reliability engineering, failure analysis, or root cause methods (e.g., 5 Whys, fishbone, 8D)
• Familiarity with statistical analysis or SPC, using Python, MATLAB, JMP, or Minitab
• Experience working in cleanroom or controlled manufacturing environments, or safely handling adhesives, solvents, or other hazardous materials
• Familiarity with space environment effects on materials, including radiation, thermal cycling, and atomic oxygen
• Experience with CAD software (NX, CATIA, SolidWorks) and practical GD&T application
• Independent and self-motivated mindset with strong organizational, written, and oral communication skills

Compensation and Benefits:

• Base salary range for this role is $110,000 - $160,000 + equity in the company
• Salary and level 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.

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