Software Development Engineer in Test

Overview

K2 is building the largest and highest-power satellites ever flown, unlocking performance levels across every orbit. Backed by $450M from leading investors and with an additional $500M in signed contracts across commercial and US government customers, we’re mass-producing high-power satellite platforms for missions from LEO to deep space.

The rise of heavy-lift launch vehicles is shifting the industry to mass abundance. Engineered to survive harsh radiation environments and to capitalize on today’s and tomorrow’s 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 a groundbreaking Series C space startup, we’d love for you to apply.

The Role

The software team at K2 builds software across the stack, from gateware and micro firmware to high-level satellite control to Ground Software and all the associated testing. We’re looking for an SDET who believes test infrastructure is a first-class engineering discipline. You will be embedded directly within the flight software team, owning the automation frameworks, test tooling, and HIL infrastructure that enable rapid, confident software deployment.

This role is not a QA function. You will be a builder. In your first 6 months, you will design and ship core test automation frameworks and integrate them into our CI/CD pipelines. In your first year, you will own end-to-end test coverage across multiple spacecraft subsystems and lead HIL testing campaigns alongside flight software engineers. In your first two years, you will operate your test systems against hardware that has been launched to orbit.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and own software test frameworks targeting K2’s flight software stack, including subsystems for propulsion, GNC, power, thermal, and communications
• Build and maintain automation tooling that integrates into CI/CD pipelines, enabling fast and reliable flight software deployment
• Develop hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) and software-in-the-loop (SIL) test infrastructure in close collaboration with flight software engineers
• Create tooling for test execution, data collection, and anomaly triage that gives engineers clear, actionable signal
• Reduce flaky and nondeterministic tests; continuously improve coverage, pipeline reliability, and test execution speed
• Collaborate with flight software, avionics, and systems engineers to define test requirements, write test plans, and execute verification campaigns
• Analyze test results to identify and characterize failures, and drive resolution across the team
• Maintain documentation for test infrastructure, procedures, and hardware configurations

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related STEM field, or equivalent professional experience
• Experience building and maintaining test automation frameworks, not just executing tests written by others
• Experience with CI/CD systems (e.g., Git Lab Pipelines, Git Hub Actions, Jenkins) and version control (Git)

Nice to Have

• Experience with hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testbeds or embedded systems testing
• Experience testing avionics, spacecraft, robotics, autonomous vehicles, or other safety-critical hardware
• Rust programming experience, including embedded or  environments
• Knowledge of real-time operating systems (RTOS) or bare-metal embedded firmware
• Familiarity with aerospace communication protocols (RS-422/485, Ethernet, UART, Space Wire, Ethernet)
• Experience with electronics test equipment: oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, power supplies
• Containerization experience (Docker, Kubernetes) for test environment management
• Experience with Embedded Linux
• Familiarity with shell scripting

Compensation and Benefits

• Base salary range for this role is $123,000 - $175,000 + equity in the company
• Salary will be based on several factors including knowledge, education, and experience
• Comprehensive benefits package including paid time off, medical/dental/vision coverage, life insurance, paid parental leave, and other perks

K2 Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We value merit, competence, and qualifications and do not discriminate on protected status.