The Roleย
Critical to achieving K2's vision of deploying at scale across MEO, GEO, cis-lunar, and deep space are the solar arrays. As a Solar Engineer, you will contribute to the design, manufacturing, testing, and deployment of high-power solar arrays for some of the largest spacecraft ever flown.ย You'llย work across technical domains; from module technology and electrical power systems to deployment mechanisms, structures, and production - learning from experienced engineers while taking on meaningful ownership of hardware from day one.ย
First 6 months:ย Support solar array subsystem development through analysis, component-level testing, and manufacturing process documentation.ย
First year:ย Own specific build and test activities for flight hardware, from assembly through acceptance testing.ย
First two years:ย Contribute to full lifecycle solar array development across multipleย vehicleย builds, developingย expertiseย in both design and production.ย
Responsibilitiesย
- Support the design and analysis of solar array electrical and mechanical subsystemsย
- Assistย in the development and maintenance of electrical performance degradation models across environment variationsย
- Execute assembly-level acceptance and qualification test procedures and document resultsย
- Collaborate with avionics, structures/mechanisms, software, and production teams on integration activities and test campaignsย
- Support design reviews with analysis products and test dataย
- Contribute to manufacturing processes for in-house fabrication and assembly, including work instructions, in-process checkouts, and end-of-line testingย
- Participate in on-orbit data review and anomaly investigation effortsย
Qualificationsย
- Bachelor's degree in physics, materials science, mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, electrical engineering, or a related technical fieldย
- Internshipย in at least one of: photovoltaics, power systems, or materials characterizationย
- Hands-on hardware experience through internships, research, design competitions, or extracurricular projectsย
Nice to Haveย
- Internship or research experience with solar arrays or power systems for space applicationsย
- Exposure toย solar cellย or module characterization techniques (IV curves, electroluminescence, flash testing)ย
- Familiarity with structural analysis tools (Nastran, ANSYS, or equivalent) or thermal analysis toolsย
- Familiarity with space environment effects on materials, including radiation, thermal cycling, and atomic oxygenย
- Experience with CAD software (NX, CATIA, SolidWorks) and practical GD&T applicationย
- Exposure to manufacturing processes such as soldering, layup, or electromechanical assemblyย
- Python or MATLABย proficiencyย for data analysisย
- Independent and self-motivated mindset with strong organizational, written, and oral communication skillsย
Compensation and Benefits:ย
- Base salary range for this role is $100,000 - $140,000 + equity in the companyย
- Salary and level will be based on several factors including, but not limitedย to:ย knowledge and skills, education, and experience levelย
- Comprehensive benefits package including paid time off, medical/dental/vision coverage, life insurance, paid parental leave, and many otherย perksย