Senior Solar Manufacturing Engineer

K2 Space•Los Angeles, CA

About The Position

K2 is building the largest and highest-power satellites ever flown, unlocking performance levels previously out of reach across every orbit. Backed by $450M from leading investors including Altimeter Capital, Redpoint Ventures, T. Rowe Price, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Alpine Space Ventures, and others – with an additional $500M in signed contracts across commercial and US government customers – we’re mass-producing the highest-power satellite platforms ever built for missions from LEO to deep space. The rise of heavy-lift launch vehicles is shifting the industry from an era of mass constraint to one of mass abundance, and we believe this new era demands a fundamentally different class of spacecraft. Engineered to survive the harshest radiation environments and to fully capitalize on today’s and tomorrow’s massive rockets, K2 satellites deliver unmatched capability at constellation scale and across multiple orbits. With multiple launches planned through 2026 and 2027, we're Building Bigger to develop the solar system and become a Kardashev Type II (K2) civilization. If you are a motivated individual who thrives in a fast-paced environment and you're excited about contributing to the success of a groundbreaking Series C space startup, we’d love for you to apply. The Role: You will lead the transformation of solar array designs into reliable, flight-ready hardware at scale. Deeply embedded in the build of solar modules and photovoltaic arrays, you’ll operate at the center of production to drive process development, solve complex manufacturing challenges, and ensure hardware is built with precision, repeatability, and speed. You’ll own critical manufacturing processes end-to-end, from early design engagement through production ramp and sustained operations. This role is built for someone who combines strong technical judgement with a bias for action. Your impact will extend beyond individual builds, shaping the foundation of manufacturing systems designed to deliver high-performance solar hardware, reliability and at scale, for mission pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in space.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, manufacturing, aerospace, materials or other relevant engineering discipline
5+ years of experience in a high-volume manufacturing, production, or hands-on engineering environment
Experience working with photovoltaic modules, solar cells, or electromechanical array assemblies
Demonstrated ownership of end-to-end manufacturing processes in high-rate environments, including process documentation, tooling, and build execution
Track record of driving DFM improvements that tangibly reduced cost, cycle time, or defect rate
Strong cross-functional collaboration skills and comfortable engaging Design, Quality, and Supply Chain teams to resolve issues and close builds

Nice To Haves

Hands-on background in high-volume or automated solar manufacturing environments
Experience ramping a production line from pilot builds to sustained production rate
Experience in space, defense, or other high-reliability manufacturing environments with rigorous acceptance test requirements
Experience working closely with technicians and build tooling
Familiarity with CAD software (NX or equivalent) and geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T)

Responsibilities

Own manufacturing processes for solar modules, photovoltaic array integration, and associated mechanical structures from development through production
Develop, qualify, and maintain assembly procedures, tooling requirements, and build sequences that make flawless execution repeatable at scale
Drive design-for-manufacturing feedback into array and module designs in partnership with the Solar Design team, identifying producibility risks early in the design cycle
Lead root cause investigation and corrective action on build escapes, non-conformances, and process failures
Support sourcing and qualification of manufacturing equipment, fixtures, and tooling; manage vendor relationships to ensure on-spec delivery
Mentor and technically guide Manufacturing Engineering team members
Represent manufacturing engineering in design reviews and build readiness reviews