Principal Configuration Management Engineer

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 Configuration and requirements are more than paperwork, they’re the backbone of product integrity. We’re looking for someone who can design and manage the systems that keep our vehicles consistent, traceable, and ready for mission success. This role goes beyond record-keeping: you’ll analyze change impacts, lead deviation reviews, and help teams make smarter decisions about cost, risk, and obsolescence.

Requirements

BS in Engineering (Mechanical/Electrical/Aerospace/Industrial) or science discipline; MS or PhD a plus.
12+ years with cross-team technical direction and company-level impact.
Hands-on with structured quality systems (AS9100, AS9145/APQP; or analogous frameworks in automotive, medical devices, robotics, electronics).
Strong experience with PLM/ALM tools (Teamcenter, Windchill, Jama/DOORS), MES/ERP, and release/change workflows (ECO/ECN).
Data skills: SQL and cloud services, plus BI dashboards (Tableau/Power BI), PowerApp Suite.

Nice To Haves

CM standards exposure (CMII, ISO 10007), document control in multi-discipline products (mechanical, electrical, software).
Experience linking ATP/verification artifacts to baselines; digital thread initiatives across design, test, and production.
Familiarity with cost modeling for engineering changes and obsolescence risk.
Ability to obtain a security clearance if required.

Responsibilities

Define and maintain requirements framework and configuration baselines from concept through delivery.
Create and embed procedures for requirement flow-down, change management, and traceability into PLM/ALM tools for frictionless execution.
Establish baseline creation and release criteria to keep programs aligned without slowing iteration.
Build infrastructure for digital libraries (genealogy, revision history, ECO/ECN effectivity) and ensure complete EIDPs.
Maintain end-to-end traceability across hardware, software, test artifacts, and documentation; monitor and correct configuration drift.
Develop supplier document control procedures for PPAP/APQP deliverables and change notices; manage configuration-related SCARs and effectivity.
Integrate external signals (GIDEP, DLA resources) to mitigate counterfeit/obsolescence risks and maintain documentation integrity.
Own and improve QMS architecture for configuration and requirements; build analytics for effectiveness (traceability coverage, ECO cycle time, escape rate).
Implement automation for change impact analysis, document comparison, and release readiness; lead configuration-related 8D/CI efforts.
Chair/support Change Review Boards; analyze proposed changes for technical, schedule, and cost impact; provide dashboards for change volume and financial impact.