Senior Ground Software Engineer, Top Secret Clearance
About The Position
K2 Space is building high-power satellite platforms for commercial and U.S. government missions across multiple orbits. The Senior Software Engineer on the Ground Software team develops software used to build, test, and fly K2 satellites and customer payloads. The role builds on the mission software platform used to fly K2’s Gravitas satellite, adding capabilities and automation to support multiple constellations. The engineer works closely with Mission Operations and Flight Software teams to define and implement mission architecture, and with external customers to scope and deliver software for their payload needs. The work spans domains such as satellite command and control, constellation operations, mission automation, radio communications, and astrodynamics. The position requires in-person presence at K2’s headquarters in Torrance, California, and includes on-call support for software used in ground testing and on-orbit spacecraft operations.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering, math, or a STEM discipline, or at least 3 years of professional software engineering experience.
- At least 5 years of experience building software solutions in a professional environment.
- Top Secret clearance.
Nice To Haves
- Experience working on space missions and/or the satellite ground segment.
- Experience with Rust or another statically typed backend programming language, such as Go, C++, Java, C#, or TypeScript.
- Experience with JavaScript/TypeScript and modern frontend development tooling such as Vue, React, or Svelte.
- Experience with version control, continuous integration, build, deployment, and monitoring.
- Experience developing HTTP or gRPC APIs.
- Experience with SQL databases such as PostgreSQL or similar.
- Experience designing and implementing event-driven architectures.
- Experience developing reliable, scalable systems.
- Experience with Docker and/or Kubernetes.
- Experience with WebSockets and/or Server-Sent Events (SSE).
- Familiarity with cybersecurity best practices and relevant certifications or standards such as SOC2 and FedRAMP.
- Familiarity with networking protocols such as TCP/IP, UDP, and QUIC.
- Familiarity with data streaming technologies such as NATS, Pulsar, or similar.
Responsibilities
- Design and implement software that facilitates the build, test, and operations of K2 vehicles and customer payloads.
- Collaborate with Mission Operators and Engineers across the company to identify and scope software solutions to complex technical and business problems.
- Facilitate software design reviews, architecture discussions, and code reviews to align stakeholders on technical direction.
- Work across the Rust backend and TypeScript/Vue frontend to support development, test, and operations milestones.
- Support internal and external customers in an on-call capacity as software is used for ground test activities and on-orbit spacecraft operations.
- Mentor other engineers and help build a strong team culture and software engineering practices.
Benefits
- Equity in the company.
- Paid time off.
- Medical, dental, and vision coverage.
- Life insurance.
- Paid parental leave.
- Other perks.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
