Tooling Engineer

K2Spacecorporation; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity in the company

Paid time off

Medical/dental/vision coverage

Job summary

K2Spacecorporation in Los Angeles is seeking a motivated engineering professional to drive tooling development for satellite production. You will design, fabricate, and validate tooling essential for our satellite systems.

The ideal candidate holds a Bachelor’s degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering and possesses hands-on experience in design and fabrication. This position offers a competitive salary of $90,000 - $140,000, equity options, and a comprehensive benefits package.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, aerospace, or other relevant engineering discipline.
• 1+ years of industry experience with mechanical and/or electromechanical design and analysis.
• Hands-on fabrication experience.

Responsibilities

• Design and fabricate tooling and material handling systems for satellite production.
• Lead development of satellite subsystem production fixtures.
• Drive hands-on development of tooling and conduct sizing and structural analysis.

Skills

Mechanical design

Electromechanical design

Hands-on fabrication

CAD software

Structural analysis

Education

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

Tools

NX (Unigraphics)

Simcenter 3D

Femap

Job description

The Role

You will own the success of custom tooling and structures that will be key to our satellite production. In your first 6 months, you will learn the satellite structure tooling needs, design and build tooling, and be hands‑on with flight hardware. In your first year, you will validate your tooling through manufacture, testing, and production material handling. In your first two years you will progressively take on larger tooling projects while directly supporting production, qualification testing, and flight hardware development.

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)
• 1+ 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 outside a classroom setting (High Power Rocketry, CubeSats, Robotics Competitions, Formula SAE and Baja SAE, Engineers without Borders, Design‑Build‑Fly, NASA student launch, personal entrepreneurial ventures, etc.)
• 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 $90,000 - $140,000 + 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

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.