Principal Ground Integration Engineer, Top Secret Clearance

K2 Space•Los Angeles, CA

7d•$200,000 - $250,000

About The Position

K2 Space is hiring a Principal Ground Integration Engineer to lead the team responsible for integrating its in-house and legacy ground systems into a cohesive, reliable ground network. The role will bridge heterogeneous space constellations with the RF and optical ground segments that control them, combining investment in K2’s ground infrastructure with integration of partner and third-party systems. The engineer will partner with other engineering teams to set the technical roadmap and deliver ground infrastructure that supports the company’s pace of hardware development. They will collaborate closely with Ground Software Applications and Flight Software teams to develop integrations for new mission capabilities across classified and unclassified domains. The position also involves building and leading an experienced engineering team, working with customers and partners, and representing K2 Space in recruiting and industry engagements. The person hired will have access to information and items controlled by U.S. export regulations, including ITAR, and must qualify as a U.S. person under the stated definition or otherwise be eligible for a federally issued export control license.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in computer science, information technology, mathematics, or a STEM discipline, or at least 3 years of professional software engineering experience.
At least 8 years of software development experience.
At least 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 the stated ITAR regulation 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 or 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 relationships with third-party mission partners.
Integrate with customer teams to architect ground systems that operate at multiple classification levels and support secure, reliable constellation operations.
Build and support a team of ground integration engineers 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.
Collaborate with Ground Software Applications and Flight Software teams to deliver integrations that enable new mission capabilities in classified and unclassified domains.