Join K2 Space as a Senior IT Systems Engineer to architect and maintain critical infrastructure for high-power satellite missions.
Posted by employer 4 months ago
First seen on Joblaze 1 week ago
Last verified on the company career page 1 day ago
Skills & Technologies
Requirements
- Experience
- 7+ years
Not disclosed in this posting: work arrangement, visa sponsorship.
Benefits
Joblaze summary
In the role of Senior IT Systems Engineer at K2 Space, the individual is responsible for architecting and managing critical IT infrastructure that supports the company's ambitious satellite projects. Key skills include deep expertise in Windows and Linux systems, virtualization technologies, and cloud platforms, along with proficiency in scripting and automation. This position is ideal for seasoned professionals with over seven years of experience in IT systems engineering, particularly those who excel in fast-paced, high-stakes environments. K2 Space's focus on innovation and rapid growth presents a unique opportunity for impactful contributions.
Joblaze insights
- Listed 9 days ago on Joblaze — tracked directly from K2 Space's career page.
- K2 Space has 222 other open roles including Senior Modeling & Simulation Engineer: National Security Missions, Senior Platform Engineer (DevX) , Principal Tooling Engineer.
- 6527 active Python roles on Joblaze right now.
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- Salary band is in line with the typical range for comparable tech roles (median ~$127,000).
- Pays more than 22% of the 3228 salaried Python roles we track (median $160,000). See Python salary trends
Quick facts
- What's the salary range?
- K2 Space lists $125,000–$155,000 for this role.
- How much experience is required?
- At least 7 years of relevant experience for this Senior IT Systems Engineer role.
- What's the tech stack?
- Joblaze extracted these technologies from the posting: AWS, Active Directory, Azure, BGP, DHCP, DNS.
- What seniority level is this role?
- K2 Space targets senior candidates for this position.
- Is this full-time or contract?
- Full-time for this Senior IT Systems Engineer role at K2 Space.
From the original posting
K2 is building the largest and highest-power satellites ever flown, unlocking performance levels previously out of reach across every orbit. Backed by over $1 billion in total funding from leading investors including Altimeter Capital, ICONIQ, Kleiner Perkins, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Redpoint Ventures, and T. Rowe Price — and with over $1 billion 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 in 2027 and plans to scale to 100 satellites a year, we're Building Bigger — helping develop the solar system and build toward 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 high-growth Series D-funded company, we'd love for you to apply.
Step into the backbone of our organization — where your decisions keep the lights on, the data flowing, and the business moving. As our Senior IT Systems Engineer, you're not just maintaining infrastructure; you're the architect of an environment that hundreds of people depend on every single day. You'll own mission-critical systems, drive complex projects from whiteboard to production, and set the technical direction for how we scale. Every server you harden, every cloud migration you lead, and every automation script you ship makes the entire organization faster, safer, and more resilient. This is a high-trust, high-impact role for someone who thrives on solving hard problems, raising the bar for the team around them, and building infrastructure that just works — even when everything else is on fire.
Responsibilities
- Architect, deploy, and administer enterprise systems including Windows Server, Linux, Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, and virtualization platforms (VMware / Hyper-V)
- Design and maintain hybrid cloud infrastructure across on-premises and cloud environments (AWS, Azure, or GCP)
- Lead infrastructure projects from planning through deployment, including migrations, upgrades, and new system rollouts
- Monitor system performance and availability; proactively identify and resolve bottlenecks and points of failure
- Develop and enforce IT policies, standards, and best practices across systems and security domains
- Manage backup, disaster recovery, and business continuity solutions; conduct regular testing and documentation
- Collaborate with the security team to harden systems, apply patches, and maintain compliance with frameworks such as NIST 800-171, or CMMC
- Evaluate and onboard new technologies and vendors; provide technical recommendations to leadership
- Serve as a senior escalation point for Tier 3 support issues across infrastructure and systems
- Mentor junior and mid-level IT staff; conduct knowledge sharing and contribute to team documentation
Qualifications
- 7+ years of experience in IT systems engineering or infrastructure roles
- Deep expertise in Windows Server (2016/2019/2022) and Linux (RHEL, Ubuntu, or CentOS) administration
- Strong experience with virtualization technologies (VMware vSphere, Hyper-V)
- Hands-on experience with at least one major cloud platform (AWS, Azure, or GCP)
- Proficiency in scripting and automation using PowerShell, Bash, Python, or similar
- Solid understanding of networking fundamentals: TCP/IP, VLANs, BGP/OSPF, firewalls, and load balancers
- Experience with identity and access management (Active Directory, Azure AD, LDAP, SSO/MFA)
- Familiarity with ITSM tools (Jira Service Management) and ITIL practices
- Strong documentation habits and ability to communicate technical concepts clearly to non-technical stakeholders
Nice to Have
- Experience with Powershell, Python or Bash
- Experience with Identity & Access management principles
- Experience with IaC tools like Terraform, opentofu or ansible
- Fluency with Linux systems
- Experience in supporting cloud environments such as Azure or AWS
Compensation and Benefits:
- Base salary range for this exempt role is $125,000 – $155,000 + equity in the company
- Salary will be based on several factors including, but not limited to: knowledge and skills, education, and experience level
- Comprehensive benefits package including paid time off, medical/dental/vision coverage, life insurance, paid parental leave, and many other perks
If you don’t meet 100% of the preferred skills and experience, we encourage you to still apply! Building a spacecraft unlike any other requires a team unlike any other and non-traditional career twists and turns are encouraged!
If you need a reasonable accommodation as part of your application for employment or interviews with us, please let us know.
Export Compliance
As defined in the ITAR, “U.S. Persons” include U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents (i.e., Green Card holders), and certain protected individuals (e.g., refugees/asylees, American Samoans). Please consult with a knowledgeable advisor if you are unsure whether you are a “U.S. Person.”
The person hired for this role will have access to information and items controlled by U.S. export control regulations, including the export control regulations outlined in the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR). The person hired for this role must therefore either be a “U.S. person” as defined by 22 C.F.R. § 120.15 or otherwise eligible for a federally issued export control license.
Equal Opportunity
K2 Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with K2 Space is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.