Principal Optomechanical 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.

K2’s plan does not stop at satellite buses, however. By operating our own vehicles and manifesting regular rides to space, K2 is uniquely positioned to design, test, and deploy-at-scale ambitious optical payloads in MEO, GEO, cis-lunar, and deep space on unprecedented timelines. The satellite bus is the platform – the payloads are the mission.

There are any number of space-based optical payloads that can generate value here on Earth (ex. forest fire detection, climate and atmospheric monitoring, etc.) and further planetary science in our solar system (ex. hyper‑spectral imaging, laser‑altimetry) – all of which benefit from large aperture, diffraction‑limited telescopes for collecting and transmitting optical energy from the UV to the infrared.

As Principal Optomechanical Engineer, you will be responsible for defining how K2 designs, manufactures, tests, and deploys large aperture optics. The development timelines and manufacturing scale that we are targeting require meaningful innovation; you will have the resources and full support of K2 to make this possible and help raise the bar for the next generation of space technology companies.

• Responsible for delivering the large aperture (100–300mm diameter) space‑qualified telescopes for a variety of optical payloads.
  • Design and tolerancing;
  • Structural‑Thermal‑Optical (STOP) analysis;
  • Environmental testing;
  • Supply chain and high‑volume manufacturing (e.g., fabrication + alignment) plans;
  • Optical metrology / performance validation;
  • ... of diffraction‑limited large aperture telescopes.
• Collaborate with the optical and satellite bus team to determine optimal set of requirements for large‑aperture front‑end optics.
• As a subject matter expert on optomechanics and optical fabrication at K2, consult on optomechanical design, mounting, and alignment of smaller optics and internally developed technologies.
• Forecast staffing plan, define roles, and interview candidates to ensure the optical payloads team is staffed appropriately to meet telescope deliverables on schedule.
• Manufacturing is a major emphasis of this role. For any in‑house fabrication, you’ll be responsible for the evaluation and selection of manufacturing equipment and working with the production team to develop a factory layout, work instructions, in‑process checkouts, and end‑of‑line tests to ensure successful builds.

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, optical engineering, physics, or a related technical field.
• 8+ years of experience in the design, manufacture, and test of optical components.

• Experience with optical mirror fabrication using single‑point diamond turning machines.
• Proficiency with optical design software, CAD software, thermal and structural finite element analysis software – ideally Zemax, NX, and Ansys respectively.
• Experience conducting environmental acceptance and…