Joblaze summary

In the role of Solar Equipment Engineer at K2 Space, the individual will focus on the installation, qualification, and maintenance of automated equipment essential for manufacturing large solar arrays. Key skills include a background in mechanical or electrical engineering, hands-on experience with hardware, and familiarity with automated systems and reliability engineering. This position is well-suited for someone with a technical degree and relevant internship experience, particularly in the aerospace or solar sectors. K2 Space is in a high-growth phase, aiming to scale satellite production significantly.

Joblaze insights

Listed 5 days ago — first seen on Joblaze October 29, 2026. Last confirmed on K2 Space's careers page November 2, 2026.
Salary band is below the typical range for comparable tech roles (median ~$130,000).
Starts above 81% of 52 comparable mid other roles in United States that list CAD we track (median $100,000 across 8 companies).
CAD appears in 3.6% of 3245 comparable mid other roles in United States; PLCs appears in 0.1% of 3245 comparable mid other roles in United States.

Quick facts

What's the salary range?: K2 Space lists $110,000–$160,000 for this role.
What's the tech stack?: Joblaze extracted these technologies from the posting: Automation, CAD, CATIA, Instrumentation, Motion Control, NX.
What seniority level is this role?: K2 Space targets mid-level candidates for this position.
Is this full-time or contract?: Full-time for this Solar Equipment 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 Role

Critical to achieving K2's vision of deploying at scale across MEO, GEO, cis-lunar, and deep space are the solar arrays. As a Solar Equipment Engineer, you will own automated equipment critical to the ability to manufacture and test massive solar arrays at rate. You’ll work closely with process and manufacturing engineers ensuring consistent equipment performance, reliability, and uptime. Within this role you will be responsible for coordinating and executing the installation, qualification, and sustaining the mechanical and electrical systems of our solar manufacturing equipment.

Responsibilities

Collaborate with the 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 robust preventive and predictive maintenance strategies, spare parts programs, and tool matching protocols
Lead root cause investigations and corrective actions within your equipment
Work with vendors and our internal automation team on equipment design improvements, upgrades, and custom solutions
Establish equipment performance metrics (OEE, MTBF, MTTR) and implement statistical process control for hardware stability
Support reporting out on factory health to process engineers and company leadership through clear documentation of equipment performance and impact on downstream process

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in physics, materials science, mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, electrical engineering, or a related technical field
Internship in at least one of: photovoltaics, power systems, semiconductor equipment, or automation
Hands-on hardware experience through internships, research, design competitions, or extracurricular projects

Nice to Have

Internship or research experience with solar arrays or power systems for space applications
Exposure to solar cell or module characterization techniques (IV curves, electroluminescence, flash testing)
Experience with automated equipment or subsystems such as robotics, motion control, vision systems, conveyors, or pneumatics
Familiarity with PLCs, sensors, or instrumentation, or with 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 (e.g., 5 Whys, fishbone, 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 (NX, CATIA, SolidWorks) and practical GD&T application
Independent and self-motivated mindset with strong organizational, written, and oral communication skills

Compensation and Benefits:

Base salary range for this role is $110,000 - $160,000 + equity in the company
Salary and level 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!

Standard company text repeated across K2 Space's postings is omitted here.

Solar Equipment Engineer

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