Ground Software Engineer, Top Secret Clearance
About The Position
K2 is hiring a Ground Software Engineer to create software used to build, test, and operate its satellites and customer payloads. The engineer will extend the mission software platform used to fly K2’s Gravitas satellite, developing capabilities and automation to support multiple constellations. The role involves collaborating with Mission Operations and Flight Software teams to define and implement mission architecture, and working with external customers to scope and deliver software for their payloads. Areas of work may include satellite command and control, constellation operations, mission automation, radio communications, and astrodynamics. The role requires in-person presence at K2’s headquarters in Torrance, California.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering, mathematics, or another STEM discipline, or at least 3 years of professional software engineering experience.
- Top Secret clearance.
Nice To Haves
- Experience working on space missions and/or the satellite ground segment.
- Experience with Rust or another statically typed backend programming language such as Go, C++, Java, C#, or TypeScript.
- Experience with JavaScript/TypeScript and modern frontend development tooling such as Vue, React, or Svelte.
- Experience with version control, continuous integration, build, deployment, and monitoring.
- Experience developing HTTP or gRPC APIs.
- Experience with SQL databases such as PostgreSQL.
- Experience designing and implementing event-driven architectures.
- Experience developing reliable, scalable systems.
- Experience with Docker and/or Kubernetes.
- Experience with WebSockets and/or Server-Sent Events (SSE).
- Familiarity with cybersecurity best practices and relevant certifications or standards such as SOC 2 or FedRAMP.
- Familiarity with networking protocols such as TCP/IP, UDP, or QUIC.
- Familiarity with data streaming technologies such as NATS or Pulsar.
Responsibilities
- Design and implement software that facilitates the build, test, and operations of K2’s vehicles and customers’ payloads.
- Collaborate with Mission Operators and engineers across the company to identify and scope software solutions to complex technical and business problems.
- Facilitate software design reviews, architecture discussions, and code reviews to align stakeholders on technical direction.
- Work across the software stack, including a Rust backend and TypeScript/Vue frontend, to support development, testing, and operations milestones.
- Support internal and external customers in an on-call capacity as the software is used for ground testing and on-orbit spacecraft operations.
- Mentor other engineers and help build a strong team culture and software engineering practices.
Benefits
- Equity in the company.
- Paid time off.
- Medical, dental, and vision coverage.
- Life insurance.
- Paid parental leave.
- Other perks as part of a comprehensive benefits package.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
