Principal Electro-Mechanical Manufacturing Engineer

Job Application for Principal Electro-Mechanical Manufacturing Engineer at K2 Space Back to jobs New Principal Electro-Mechanical Manufacturing Engineer Los Angeles, CA Apply 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 Partnering with design engineers early on in the process, you will ensure manufacturability, build the first prototype, design the build flow and fixturing, and finalize the process for transition to production. You will test out new techniques for manufacturing large satellite structures, mechanisms, and integrated electronics systems. In your first 6 months you will own manufacturing development for integrated avionics systems; define production-ready build flows, capacity models, and tooling strategies; and drive cross-functional DFM improvements that materially reduce risk, cost, or cycle time. In your first year you will lead implementation of advanced manufacturing techniques on flight hardware and transition prototype processes into stable, rate-capable production systems. Responsibilities Own end-to-end manufacturing strategy for subsystems from concept through production ramp Lead DFM efforts with design engineering, influencing architecture decisions to optimize for cost, quality, scalability and integration risk Architect scalable production flows for large spacecraft assemblies including electromechanical systems, harnessing, and mechanisms Develop and deploy advanced manufacturing technologies, automation concepts, and tooling systems to support increasing production rate Establish production readiness plans including control plans, work instructions, takt alignment, and line balancing Mentor and develop junior manufacturing engineers and technicians, raising the technical bar across the organization Lead first article builds and flight hardware integration, resolving complex cross-functional technical issues Develop capacity models and rate ramp strategies to support program growth Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on cycle time reduction, yield improvement, and production robustness Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in electrical, mechanical, aero space, or other relevant engineering discipline 5+ years of experience in a high volume, rapid production environment in a manufacturing, integration, and/or design engineering role Demonstrated results with product development and/or process improvements Experience leading first article builds and transitioning prototype processes into repeatable production Experience setting up and scaling production lines in a rapid development environment Demonstrated ability to influence cross-functional teams and drive design changes for manufacturability Nice to Have Experience designing tooling for mechanical subassemblies and electroni cs Demonstrated leadership of small engineering teams or technical ownership of major subsystems Deep familiarity with aerospace manufacturing standards (IPC soldering standards, torque/welding standards, quality systems, AS9100 environments) Demonstrated experience developing production processes from the ground up including driving design improvements for manufacturing Strong working knowledge of CAD software (NX or equivalent) and geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) Experience working with MES to set up the foundation for procedure creation and documenting non-conformances 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 unlimited 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! 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