Senior Thermal Design Engineer

K2 is building the largest and highest-power satellites ever flown, unlocking performance levels previously out of reach across every orbit. Backed by over $1 billion in total funding from leading investors including Altimeter Capital, ICONIQ, Kleiner Perkins, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Redpoint Ventures, and T. Rowe Price — and with over $1 billion 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 in 2027 and plans to scale to 100 satellites a year, we're Building Bigger — helping develop the solar system and build toward 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 high-growth Series D-funded company, we'd love for you to apply.

The Role

You will own the success of developing, implementing and testing both R&D 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.). Y 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.

Responsibilities

• Work with lead engineers 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 ment of 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 l oop 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

Qualifications

• 5+ 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 exchanger, 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

Nice to Have

• Experie nce 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 sign al-to-noise ratio is not acceptable
• Experience with pumps testing
• Experience with avionics testing
• Experience with testing refrigeration systems

Compensation and Benefits:

• Base salary range for this role is $140,000 - $250,000 + 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

If you don’t meet 100% of the preferred skills and experience, we encourage you to still apply! Building a spacecraft unlike any other requires a team unlike any other and non-traditional career twists and turns are encouraged!

Export Compliance

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.