Principal Ground Integration Engineer, Top Secret Clearance

K2 Space•Los Angeles, CA

About The Position

K2 Space is seeking a Principal Ground Integration Engineer to lead integration of its in-house and legacy ground systems into a cohesive, reliable ground network supporting commercial, science, and national security missions. The role directs investment in K2 ground infrastructure and partnership with third parties to bridge heterogeneous satellite constellations with RF and optical ground segments. The engineer will set the technical roadmap and work with Ground Software Applications and Flight Software teams to deliver integrations that enable new mission capabilities across classified and unclassified domains. The role includes leading and building a team of ground integration engineers, collaborating with customer teams to architect secure systems for multiple classification levels, and ensuring the delivery of robust, scalable ground infrastructure. The position also represents K2 Space in recruiting, industry events, customer interactions, and strategic partnerships. The person hired will access items controlled by U.S. export control regulations and must be a U.S. person as defined by 22 C.F.R. § 120.15 or otherwise eligible for a federally issued export control license.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in computer science, information technology, mathematics, or a STEM discipline, or 3+ years of professional experience in software engineering.
8+ years of experience in software development.
3+ years of leadership experience at the department or organizational level.
Experience deploying and integrating sophisticated hardware and software systems.
Proven success building and scaling high-impact engineering teams.
Strong track record of delivering enterprise-scale solutions in fast-paced environments.
Deep experience with classified systems and their security requirements.
Must be a U.S. person as defined by 22 C.F.R. § 120.15 or otherwise eligible for a federally issued export control license.

Nice To Haves

Experience in aerospace, manufacturing, or mission-critical systems.
Proficiency in one or more programming languages such as Python, C#.NET, Go, or Java.
Familiarity with modern programming languages, cloud systems, CI/CD, and container orchestration such as Docker and Kubernetes.
A track record of fostering team culture, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
Understanding of existing system architectures supporting ground and orbital systems for government and commercial space systems.

Responsibilities

Define and execute the long-term vision for K2 Space’s end-to-end ground systems integration.
Direct and technically lead investment in new in-house ground infrastructure while managing and building relationships with third-party mission partners.
Integrate with customer teams to architect ground systems capable of operating at multiple classification levels and delivering secure, reliable constellation operations.
Build and support a team of ground integration engineers responsible for connecting new and legacy ground systems.
Ensure teams deliver robust, scalable, and secure systems at startup speed.
Represent K2 Space in recruiting, industry events, customer interactions, and strategic partnerships.