HITL 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.

Asa Hardware-In-The-Loop(HITL)
Testbed Engineer,you’llown designing,implementing, andmaintainingcritical test assetsintegratingflight-like hardware andhigh-fidelitysimulation.

Youwillsupport critical testsvalidatingsystem design, verifying flight and ground software, andoperationsrelated inactive missionsin space.

Your attention to detail and preparation will ensure thattheflatsattestbed is ready fortasks thatcoulddirectlyimpactmission success.

Knowing how to scale thesetestbeds using automation and flexible configurationwillenable teams tohaveaccurateresultsand parity with flight vehicleswith various mission objectives.

• Work withresponsible engineers and software engineers to design ahigh-fidelityvehicle testbedensuring high technical rigor and associated documentation.
• Operate the HITL testbed in support ofsystem validation, verification, and investigations, including on-orbitoperations.
• Receive, integrate, and test flight representative hardwareinto HITL testbeds.
• Collaborate with design and systems engineers tocreateand buildhardware simulation equipment.
• Own,maintain, and documentHITL table configuration and build out, including the supporting GSEracks.
• Create and release harness drawings for required ground support and test equipment.
• Investigate and troubleshoottestbedissuesand drive further actions to improve future designs.
• Design,maintain, and operate HITLracks deployed to customers for integration.

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical, aerospace, mechanical, computer, or other engineering discipline
• 2+ years of experience in an integration/test/automation engineering role (includes internships and design/build/compete extracurricular projects)
• Hands‑on experience with HITL or Flatsatsoftware verification testbeds.
• Experience designing, building, andmaintainingtest racks and harnessing.
• Experience testing and troubleshootingintegrated avionics system sand their related components.
• Hands‑on experience using electrical test equipment (PSU, Oscilloscope, DMM, etc.)and with ESD sensitive equipment.
• Excellent conflict resolution and negotiation skills

• Proficient in Python and/or Rust
• Experience with Linux systems
• Experience managing contractual interfaces (e.g.customer, launch vehicle)
• Experience with containerized solutions like Docker.
• Desire to continually raise the bar of “good enough” and innovate novel solutions for scaling HITL.

• Base salary range for this role is $100,000 - $140,000 + equity in the company
• Salary will be based on several factors including, but not limitedto: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

If you don’t meet 100% of the preferred skills and experience, we encourage you to still apply! Building a spacecraft…