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Salary: USD 100,000 - 140,000 / annual
K2 Space is building the largest and highest-power satellites ever flown, backed by over $1 billion in funding and $1 billion in signed contracts across commercial and US government customers. The company is mass-producing advanced satellite platforms for missions from LEO to deep space, with multiple launches planned for 2027 and scaling to 100 satellites per year.
As an Optical Manufacturing Engineer, you will serve as the critical bridge between optical design and production, partnering with the Principal Optomechanical Engineer and optical payloads team. You will ensure manufacturability of large aperture (100–300 mm), diffraction-limited, space-qualified telescopes and optical systems, build first prototypes, design manufacturing flows, and develop fixturing and alignment tooling. Working hand-in-hand with optical technicians, you will translate design intent into clear work instructions, in-process checkouts, and end-of-line tests.
In your first 6 months, you will develop cleaning, bonding, mounting, and alignment methods for optical subassemblies; define manufacturing flows for optical payload hardware; and provide Design-for-Excellence (DFX) guidance on optics, optomechanical mounts, and integrated electro-optical assemblies. In your first year, you will implement these processes on flight hardware and scale them to high-rate production.
Key responsibilities include:
- Collaborating with the optomechanical design team to provide DFX guidance across optics, mounts, bonded assemblies, and integrated hardware
- Developing manufacturing and assembly processes for space-qualified optical subsystems, including precision inspection, cleaning, adhesive bonding, mounting, and alignment of freespace and fiber optic assemblies
- Designing alignment fixtures, bonding tooling, and ground support equipment (GSE) that protect sensitive optics while achieving required tolerances
- Supporting evaluation and selection of optical fabrication, assembly, and metrology equipment; helping develop factory and cleanroom layout
- Developing in-process inspections, optical metrology, and end-of-line test methods (interferometry, autocollimation, wavefront verification)
- Creating and maintaining work instructions, travelers, and procedures in the Manufacturing Execution System (MES); leading root cause analysis for nonconformances
- Supporting integration of optical assemblies with electromechanical interfaces, harnessing, sensor electronics, and thermal management
- Developing subassembly build flows and iterating for efficient production as takt times scale
- Supporting environmental acceptance and qualification test campaigns (thermal vacuum, vibration, thermal cycling)
- Partnering with optical manufacturing engineers on R&D of novel optics manufacturing and alignment technologies
REQUIREMENTS:
- Bachelor's degree in electrical, optical mechanical, aerospace, or other relevant engineering discipline
- 3+ years of experience in high-volume, rapid production environment in manufacturing, integration, and/or design engineering role
- Demonstrated results with product development and/or process improvements
- Experience setting up a manufacturing/production floor for first article builds
- Experience designing and implementing technologies for avionics subassembly manufacturing (wire harness, PCBA, mechanical enclosure assembly)
- Experience providing DFX guidance on optomechanical designs; ability to read and review mechanical and optical drawings including GD&T and optical tolerance callouts
- Familiarity with optical metrology equipment (interferometers, autocollimators, theodolites, laser trackers, power meters)
- Experience working with FOD, ESD-sensitive hardware, cleanroom requirements, and optical cleaning methods/solvents
- Familiarity with industry standards: ISO 10110, MIL-PRF-13830, ISO 14999, ISO 9211, MIL-C-48497, ISO 14644, IEST-STD-CC1246, ASTM E595, NASA-STD-8739.1, NASA-STD-8739.5, ANSI/ESD S20.20, ANSI Z136.1, IEC 60825-1
NICE TO HAVE:
- Proficiency with CAD software (NX or similar)
- Experience building optical processes from the ground up with design improvements for manufacturing
- Experience with MES for procedure creation and nonconformance documentation
- Ability to develop or troubleshoot production test code in Python, LabVIEW, MATLAB, or similar
Note: ITAR compliance required—must be a U.S. Person as defined by 22 C.F.R. § 120.15 or eligible for federally issued export control license.
