Manager, Build Reliability

K2 Space•Los Angeles, CA

About The Position

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. The Role As the Build Reliability Manager, you will lead the day-to-day execution of quality and reliability efforts across K2 Space’s production programs. You will manage and grow a team of Build Reliability Engineers, Quality Inspectors, and Supplier Quality Engineers, ensuring that quality is embedded into every stage of the build progress, from receiving inspection through vehicle handoff. You will drive the department and continuous improvement of quality processes, corrective action workflows, and supplier quality programs that enable K2 Space to scale from prototype satellites to full-rate production. Your work will directly shape how K2 Space builds spacecraft, establishing the repeatable, high-reliability manufacturing practices that will underpin the next generation of Commercial, National Security, and Science missions spanning LEO, MEO, GEO, Cislunar, and Deep Space.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, aerospace, mathematics, or other relevant engineering discipline
4+ years of experience leading and/or managing large teams on technically complex projects throughout the development and build process
6+ years of experience in a high volume, rapid production environment in a manufacturing, integration, quality and/or design engineering role
Deep production and hardware manufacturing experience, including manufacturing of machined parts, mechanisms, electrical assemblies, Printed Circuit Board Assemblies (PCBAs), and harnessing
Experience managing vendors, suppliers, and strategic technical partners

Nice To Haves

6+ years of experience leading and/or managing large teams on technically complex projects throughout the development and build process
Experience with quality inspection techniques such as NDE/NDT methods and associated equipment
Experience developing non-conformance documentation systems and processes, corrective action systems, and generating/evaluating key quality metrics across all stages of manufacturing
Experience leading organizations through the AS9100D compliance process, including initial evaluation and recurring audits
Experience developing PFMEAs for complex processes and leveraging them for continuous improvement initiatives
Experience with high-volume manufacturing of complex assemblies
Experience with solar module lines, battery manufacturing lines, and cleanroom production environments
Excellent conflict resolution and negotiation skills
Active Top Secret Clearance or an active DoD Secret clearance with SAP clearance eligibility

Responsibilities

Grow the production focused Reliability team – hire and develop talented quality personnel spanning Build Reliability Engineers, Quality Inspectors, Supplier Quality Engineers, and related disciplines.
Develop and continuously improve quality processes for the company, including non-conformance processes, supplier quality evaluation processes, and process control processes such as PFMEAs.
Collaborate with manufacturing and engineering teams through the product lifecycle to create quality plans that support each phase of the build from receiving inspection through vehicle handoff at the launch site
Design quality plans that support lean manufacturing and test, enabling rapid production without sacrificing quality
Investigate failures, drive corrective actions, and lead containment efforts that reduce risk and improve reliability across production; feed lessons learned back into the design for future component iterations and increase the repeatability of simple, robust flight unit builds
Work with engineering teams to define and implement change control into the design and build workflow
Manage quality processes for suppliers, interfacing with them regularly to analyze quality metrics and drive corrective actions when process escapes arise
Establish and report on key quality metrics and dashboards to provide leadership visibility into production reliability trends