Principal Photonic Systems Engineer

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’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 planned through 2026 and 2027, we're 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’d love for you to apply. 

The Role 

K2’s plan doesn't stop at satellite buses, however. By operating our own vehicles and manifesting regular rides to space, K2 is uniquely positioned to design, test, and deploy-at-scale ambitious, “limit-of-physics” optical payloads in MEO, GEO, cis-lunar, and deep space on unprecedented timelines. The satellite bus is the platform – the payloads are the mission. 

The tasks that a Photonic Systems Engineer would contribute to at K2 include some or all of the following: 

• Architecting, developing, building, and deploying K2’s photonic circuits  
• Space-qualifying our COTS transceiver, and proposing on-orbit network-level CONOPs / FDIR to ensure packets aren’t dropped during radiation events 
• Consult on and contribute to optical payload software (on a limited, case-by-case basis) 
• Advise on intra-satellite networking  

Responsibilities 

• Responsible for delivering the... 
  1. system architecture, SNR budget, and system-specific modeling (ex. stray light, fiber coupling); 
  2. detailed optical design and tolerancing; 
  3. development plan (risk reduction timeline, division of labor, test strategy); 
  4. environmental qualification and reliability testing; 
  5. technical leadership of vendors and external partners, including component qualification, supply-chain development, and transition to volume manufacturing; and 
  6. laboratory characterization, system-level validation, mission readiness, and on-orbit commissioning plan 

… of photonic technologies supporting K2’s suite of high-volume optical payloads. 

• Collaborate with the optical and satellite bus teams to determine feasibility and optimal system requirements for photonic technologies.
• Prepare design reviews for your optical system to get stakeholder buy-in and communicate expectations to the hardware, software, test, and manufacturing teams.
• Forecast staffing needs, define roles, and interview candidates to ensure the optical payloads team is staffed appropriately to deliver on schedule.
• Mentor the engineers supporting you to make them more capable and autonomous in the realm of optical system development in the future – scoping work, providing feedback throughout, and reviewing and signing off on the quality of their work. 

Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s degree in physics, optics, computer science, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or a related technical field. 
• 8+ years of experience in the design, manufacture, and test of optical systems. 
• Experience designing and deploying optical systems at every phase of the product life cycle (requirements generation, design, analysis, tolerance, procure, build, align, test, deploy, operate). 

Nice to Have 

• Familiarity with high-volume manufacturing – broad knowledge of manufacturing techniques, design for manufacturability, supply chain management, and productionization of assembly and test processes. 
• Experience conducting experimental research, data analysis, and visualizing esoteric datasets. 
• Understanding of the failure modes of electrical, mechanical, and optical systems in space environment. 

Compensation and Benefits: 

• Base salary range for this role is $110,000 - $280,000 + 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