Radiation Effects Engineer

K2 Space•Los Angeles, CA

11d•Onsite

About The Position

K2 is seeking a Radiation Effects Engineer to play a critical role in the qualification, implementation, and reliability of their satellite avionics hardware in intense radiation environments. This role involves owning the rapid development and execution of component, board, and subsystem-level radiation test setups at national labs. The engineer will also contribute to growing the team's capabilities through test rack and automation development. Through detailed analysis and reporting of test results, the engineer will inform hardware designers and mission planners on confident satellite operation. The position requires excellent test engineering fundamentals and a high level of attention to detail to ensure hardware and test capabilities are top-notch. Prior experience in radiation effects testing is preferred but not required; strong electrical lab skills and a willingness to learn are essential.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering or related science, technology, engineering field or 3+ years of experience assembling, integrating, and testing electrical components, assemblies and/or hardware in the aerospace industry (internship plus professional experience included)
1+ years of experience with radiation effects testing, including TID and SEE testing using proton, heavy ion, gamma, neutron, or other radiation sources (internship plus professional experience included)
Strong electrical engineering fundamentals, with the ability to determine appropriate measurement methods, instrumentation, and test setups for voltage, current, timing, and digital I/O measurements
Experience conducting electrical measurements and characterizing signals (voltage, current, timing, digital I/O) using standard lab equipment such as oscilloscopes, programmable power supplies, SMUs, DMMs, function generators, and logic analyzers

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with designing circuits and setups around common components such as transistors, regulators, digital/analog components and RF devices
Strong fundamentals of radiation effects in semiconductor devices, including how to mitigate common failure modes
Demonstrated ability in soldering and crimping as well as assembling cable harnesses and connectors
Demonstrated ability to document work clearly and follow structured test processes
Familiarity with FPGA or microcontroller-based test systems
Experience designing, building, and testing electrical assemblies, fixtures and test racks
Experience designing PCBs using common EDA tools (e.g., Altium, KiCad, OrCAD)
Ability to create, read, review, and redline electrical and test rack schematics
Experience developing modular, reusable test automation software and drivers in Linux, C++, Rust, Python, Visual Studio, etc.
Strong troubleshooting skills and attention to detail
Strong communication skills with ability to communicate hardware, systems, and scheduling problems and solutions

Responsibilities

Execute cradle-to-grave radiation test campaigns (SEE, TID, DDD and materials) through coordinating test facilities/dates, designing electrical test setups, writing test procedures, executing tests, and documenting results
Design, fabricate, and assemble production quality test racks, test PCBAs, and cable harnesses
Troubleshoot, repair, and modify electronic components, assemblies, parts, and systems
Perform tests and checkouts using standard lab equipment such as programmable power supplies, ohmmeters, oscilloscopes, DMM, SMU, logic analyzers and DAQs
Develop basic test automation, data collection and analysis scripts in Python
Own the scheduling and prioritization of component, board and subsystem radiation testing to support the hardware and vehicle lifecycle
Flash firmware and perform software load verifications under the direction of engineering team members