Senior Solar Equipment Engineer

K2 Space•Los Angeles, CA

8d•$150,000 - $220,000

About The Position

K2 is seeking a Solar Equipment Engineer to own automated equipment used to manufacture and test large solar arrays at production rate. The role works closely with process, manufacturing, and facilities engineers to ensure equipment performance, reliability, and uptime. Responsibilities include coordinating and executing installation, qualification, and ongoing support of the mechanical and electrical systems of solar manufacturing equipment. The position supports K2’s plans to mass-produce high-power satellite platforms for missions spanning LEO, MEO, GEO, cis-lunar space, and deep space.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in physics, materials science, mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, electrical engineering, or a related technical field.
At least 5 years of experience in one or more of photovoltaics, power systems, semiconductor equipment, or automation.

Nice To Haves

Internship or research experience with solar arrays or power systems for space applications.
Exposure to solar cell or module characterization techniques such as IV curves, electroluminescence, or flash testing.
Experience with automated equipment or subsystems such as robotics, motion control, vision systems, conveyors, or pneumatics.
Familiarity with PLCs, sensors, instrumentation, or troubleshooting electromechanical systems.
Exposure to manufacturing processes such as soldering, bonding, layup, or electromechanical assembly.
Coursework or project experience in reliability engineering, failure analysis, or root-cause methods such as 5 Whys, fishbone, or 8D.
Familiarity with statistical analysis or SPC using Python, MATLAB, JMP, or Minitab.
Experience working in cleanroom or controlled manufacturing environments, or safely handling adhesives, solvents, or other hazardous materials.
Familiarity with space-environment effects on materials, including radiation, thermal cycling, and atomic oxygen.
Experience with CAD software such as NX, CATIA, or SolidWorks and practical GD&T application.
Independent and self-motivated mindset with strong organizational, written, and oral communication skills.

Responsibilities

Collaborate with facilities and process engineers to install, qualify, maintain, and continually improve solar array manufacturing equipment.
Own equipment reliability and uptime; design, execute, and analyze experiments to improve within-tool process variance, tool-to-tool performance variance, and defect performance.
Develop and execute preventive and predictive maintenance strategies, spare-parts programs, and tool-matching protocols.
Lead root-cause investigations and corrective actions for assigned equipment.
Work with vendors and the internal automation team on equipment design improvements, upgrades, and custom solutions.
Establish equipment performance metrics, including OEE, MTBF, and MTTR, and implement statistical process control for hardware stability.
Report factory health to process engineers and company leadership through clear documentation of equipment performance and its impact on downstream processes.