Thermal Control System; TCS Design Engineer

K2 Space is building the largest and highest‑power satellites ever flown, unlocking performance levels previously out of reach across every orbit. Backed by $450 M from leading investors including Altimeter Capital, Redpoint Ventures, T. Rowe Price, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Alpine Space Ventures, and others, and with an additional $500 M in signed contracts for commercial and U.S. government customers, K2 is mass‑producing the highest‑power satellite platforms for missions from LEO to deep space.

With multiple launches planned through 2026 and 2027, we are Building Bigger to develop the solar system and become a Kardashev Type II civilization.

You will own the success of developing, implementing and testing both research & development and production thermal control systems on the spacecraft. You will be responsible for spearheading the design and verification efforts of active and passive thermal control systems including, but not limited to, pump‑fluid loops, heat pipes and all of the required ground‑supporting equipment (test fixtures, diagnostic equipment, instrumentation, software tools, etc.).

Our work will require familiarity with pressurized systems (valves, pumps, accumulators, heat exchangers), thermo‑mechanical instrumentation (temperature sensors, pressure sensors, flow meters, etc.), integrated electronics systems, and secondary satellite structures. You will partner with design engineers early on in the process to ensure manufacturability while building the first prototype, design the build flow, and finalize the process for transition to production.

• Work with lead engineer to design active and passive thermal control systems using basic heat transfer and mechanical equations to size lines, pumps, accumulators, cold plates, etc.
• Planning and development of thermal cycle and thermal‑vacuum testing campaigns.
• Design and develop heater and cooling systems including control architecture.
• Setup, commission, and maintain state‑of‑the‑art test stands and instrumentation.
• Develop data acquisition systems for active and passive thermal control systems.
• Perform tests on novel pump‑fluid loops including feed‑systems, power electronics, and hardware‑in‑the-loop.
• Develop testing and control scripts to conduct safe and reliable test campaigns of pump‑fluid loop and individual components.
• Create formal documentation for development and production: test procedures, test reports, and standard operating procedures.
• Troubleshoot electrical and mechanical test setups and hardware.
• Document, compile, analyze, and present test data.

• 3+ years of experience with thermal test experience in a high‑rate manufacturing environment.
• 2+ years of experience with sizing and testing fluid systems including pumps, valves, accumulators, heat exchangers, cold plates, etc.
• Demonstrated experience with data acquisition for thermal and power‑related applications.
• Experience with test plan development and execution.
• Strong experience with thermal and TVAC testing including setup, instrumentation, and troubleshooting.
• Demonstrated knowledge of NX or AutoCAD is preferred to design test fixtures.

• Experience with basic and statistical data analysis.
• Experience with Thermal Desktop for thermal analysis.
• Experience with signal conditioning to define optimal acquisition rate and understand when signal‑to‑noise ratio is not acceptable.
• Experience with pump testing.
• Experience with avionics testing.
• Experience with testing refrigeration systems.

• Base salary range for this role is $100,000–$140,000 plus 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.

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.

If you need a reasonable accommodation as part of your application for employment or interviews, please let us know.