Launch Operations Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

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.

K2 has a large set of customer and launch partners, ranging from rideshare hosted payloads to full constellation scale roll out, spanning multiple launch vehicles, procurement methods, licensing methods, and launch sites. We are looking for exceptional individuals to support all of these customer and launch partner interfaces. As a launch mission manager, you will be hands‑on supporting payload, vehicle, and launch integration certification, verification, and execution actions.

You’ll own certification across multiple threads, also working closely with our internal design reliability, program managers, and leadership team. You’ll be an advocate for K2 and our customer, pushing for simplification of process, implementation of lessons learned, and state‑of‑the‑art certification methods to enable our constellation level roll‑outs. You’ll work with our legal teams to enable appropriate licensing and insurance closure. You’ll work with our engineering teams to feed back best‑practices and lessons learned from integrated spacecraft testing to optimize future payload missions. You’ll work with all teams to help ensure successful spaceflight outcomes.

In this position you’ll be the voice of K2 in multiple forums and efforts – ultimately being responsible for ensuring there are no certification, verification, or execution show‑stoppers on day of payload integration, spacecraft testing, or launch.

• Function as K2 point of contact for all things related to certification, to include range safety compliance, launch vehicle user guide compliance, ground operations plan, payload certification plan, customer to launch provider interactions, and qualification reports
• Serve as launch provider point of contact, helping ensure launch vehicle ICDs are closed and verified, launch operations plan is robust, and the mission executes flawlessly
• Serve as payload provider point of contact in certification forums, ensuring payload meets all applicable requirements from both K2 and the launch provider
• Support payload integration readiness reviews, pre‑ship reviews, launch and flight readiness reviews, in various capacities
• Review and help shape future customer and launch vehicle contracts and SOWs
• Shape our certification process for all of the above, helping come up with new methods for K2 to increase velocity

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, physics, or science
• 8+ years of experience in technical aerospace or manufacturing
• 2+ years of experience managing projects, technical trades, and/or technical teams
• Exceptional understanding of launch vehicles, spacecraft, or other aerospace systems and their certification and/or verification processes
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills

• Master’s degree or PhD in an engineering or science discipline
• 10+ years of experience in technical aerospace or manufacturing
• Active Top Secret or TS/SCI clearance
• Experience leading spacecraft qualification, verification, or certification efforts for single or constellation level projects
• Experience working with payload or launch provider contracts and SOWs
• Proven ability to innovate in process improvement and lessons learned processes
• Skilled in generating executive summaries to drive decision making through senior leadership discussions
• Demonstrated track record of project ownership, responsibility for execution, and successful outcomes
• Ability to travel up to 25% of the time

• Base salary range for this role is $175,000 - $200,000 + 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 paid time off, medical/dental/vision coverage, life insurance, paid parental leave, and many other perks

As defined in the ITAR, “U.S. Persons” include U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents (i.e., Green Card holders), and certain protected individuals (e.g., refugees/asylees, American Samoans). Please consult with a knowledgeable advisor if you are unsure whether you are a “U.S. Person.”

The person hired for this role will have access to information and items controlled by U.S. export control regulations, including the export control regulations outlined in the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR). The person hired for this role must therefore either be a “U.S. person” as defined by 22 C.F.R. § 120.15 or otherwise eligible for a federally issued export control license.

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.