What's the salary range?

K2 Space lists $90,000–$140,000 for this role.

How much experience is required?

At least 1 year of relevant experience for this Tooling Engineer role.

What's the tech stack?

Joblaze extracted these technologies from the posting: Aerospace Engineering, CAD, FEA, FEMAP, GD&T, Hypermesh.

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 Tooling Engineer role at K2 Space.

Tooling Engineer at K2 Space

Joblaze summary

The Tooling Engineer at K2 Space is responsible for designing and fabricating custom tooling and material handling systems essential for satellite production. This role requires proficiency in CAD or FEA software, along with hands-on fabrication experience, and a background in mechanical or aerospace engineering. Ideal candidates will have at least one year of industry experience and a strong understanding of mechanical systems, particularly in aerospace applications. K2 Space is a high-growth company focused on innovative satellite technology, making this position suitable for motivated individuals eager to contribute to groundbreaking projects.

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.
395 active Mechanical Engineering roles on Joblaze right now.
289 active CAD roles on Joblaze right now.
184 active Aerospace Engineering roles on Joblaze right now.
Salary band is below the typical range for comparable tech roles (median ~$127,000).
Pays more than 5% of the 155 salaried Mechanical Engineering roles we track (median $133,000).

Quick facts

What's the salary range?: K2 Space lists $90,000–$140,000 for this role.
How much experience is required?: At least 1 year of relevant experience for this Tooling Engineer role.
What's the tech stack?: Joblaze extracted these technologies from the posting: Aerospace Engineering, CAD, FEA, FEMAP, GD&T, Hypermesh.
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 Tooling 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.

The Role

You will own the success of custom tooling and structures that will be key to our satellite production. In your first 6 months, you will learn the satellite structure tooling needs, design and build tooling, and be hands-on with flight hardware. In your first year, you will validate your tooling through manufacture, testing, and production material handling. In your first two years you will progressively take on larger tooling projects while directly supporting production, qualification testing, and flight hardware development.

Responsibilities

Design and fabricate tooling and material handling systems for K2 Space satellite bus and associated systems and subsystems

Lead development of satellite subsystem production fixtures from project kickoff through production and beyond

Drive hands-on development tooling development, sizing and structural analysis of ground support equipment, and continuous improvement of tooling and production operations

Support the development of ground test setups, flight hardware, development fixtures, and external customer tooling needs

Collaborate with a cross-functional team to establish product requirements, tooling methods and project development schedules

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, aerospace, or other relevant engineering discipline

Experience with CAD or FEA software packages (experience can be in a professional, academic, entrepreneurial, or hobby setting)

1+ years of industry experience with mechanical and/or electromechanical design and analysis

Hands-on fabrication experience

Experience designing, building, and testing mechanical assemblies and tooling for aerospace or terrestrial applications (satellite mechanical systems, payloads, launch vehicles, propulsion systems, and/or aircraft structures and mechanisms)

Nice to Have

Experience with shipping, materials handling, and clean room operations

Experience with the practical application of GD&T

Experience with NX (Unigraphics) and Teamcenter PLM

Experience with performing structural analysis (Simcenter 3D, Femap, or Hypermesh)

Demonstrated ability to own mechanical hardware or systems within an integrated engineering team outside a classroom setting (High Power Rocketry, CubeSats, Robotics Competitions, Formula SAE and Baja SAE, Engineers without Borders, Design-Build-Fly, NASA student launch, personal entrepreneurial ventures, etc.)

Demonstrated understanding of structural analysis and failure modes of complex mechanical systems in space environments and operations

Experience with actuators, controls, data acquisition, and dedicated test or automation equipment (examples include actuated positioning tools, motor dynos, vibration tables, environmental data loggers, motorsports DAQ)

Independent and self-motivated mindset, with strong organizational, written, and oral communication skills

Compensation and Benefits:

Base salary range for this role is $90,000 - $140,000 + 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.

Tooling Engineer

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