Principal Ground Integration Engineer, Top Secret Clearance

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
K2 Space operates constellations spanning commercial, science, and national security missions using a mix of in-house and legacy ground systems. In this role, you will be responsible for leading the team in charge of integrating all of these systems into a cohesive, reliable ground network. The ground systems you and your team build will be capable of bridging the gap between heterogeneous constellations in space and the RF and Optical ground segment that controls them. You will be in charge of directing a multi-pronged strategy to invest in K2 ground infrastructure while also engaging with partners to integrate with legacy and 3rd party ground systems.
You’ll partner with a growing organization of engineers, set the technical roadmap, and ensure we’re delivering ground infrastructure that moves as fast as our hardware. You will collaborate closely with the Ground Software Applications and Flight Software teams to drive new integrations that unlock new mission capabilities for our customers in the classified and unclassified domains.
Responsibilities
Define and execute the long-term vision for K2 Space’s end-to-end ground systems integration
Direct and technically lead investment in new in-house ground infrastructure while managing and building relationships with third-party mission partners
Integrate with customer teams to architect new ground systems capable of operating at multiple levels of classification while delivering secure and reliable constellation operations
Build and support a team of capable and experienced ground integration engineers responsible for building the connective tissue between new and legacy ground systems
Ensure teams deliver robust, scalable, and secure systems at startup speed
Represent K2 Space in recruiting, industry events, customer interactions, and strategic partnerships
Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in computer science, information technology, mathematics or a STEM discipline or 3+ years of professional experience in software engineering
8+ years of experience in software development
3+ years of leadership experience at the department or org level
Experience with the deployment and integration of sophisticated hardware and software systems
Proven success building and scaling high-impact engineering teams
Strong track record of delivering enterprise-scale solutions in fast-paced environments
Deep experience with classified systems and their security requirements
Nice to Have
Experience in aerospace, manufacturing, or mission-critical systems
Proficiency in one or more programming languages such as Python, C#.NET, Go, Java, or similar
Familiarity with modern languages (Python, Go, Java, C#, etc.), cloud systems, CI/CD, and container orchestration (Docker/Kubernetes).
A track record of fostering team culture, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
Understanding of existing system architectures that support ground and orbital systems contributing to government and commercial space systems
Compensation and Benefits: