Principal Photonic Systems Engineer

K2 is building the largest and highest-power satellites ever flown, unlocking performance levels previously out of reach across every orbit. Backed by [$450M](https://www.forbes.com/sites/aliciapark/2025/12/11/this-startup-is-building-huge-satellites-for-an-underused-interstellar-sweet-spot/?ctpv=searchpage) 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. K2 is building the largest and highest-power satellites ever flown, unlocking performance levels previously out of reach across every orbit. Backed by [$450M](https://www.forbes.com/sites/aliciapark/2025/12/11/this-startup-is-building-huge-satellites-for-an-underused-interstellar-sweet-spot/?ctpv=searchpage) 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** K2’s plan doesn't stop at satellite buses, however. By operating our own vehicles and manifesting regular rides to space, K2 is uniquely positioned to design, test, and deploy-at-scale ambitious, “limit-of-physics” optical payloads in MEO, GEO, cis-lunar, and deep space on unprecedented timelines. The satellite bus is the platform – the payloads are the mission. The tasks that a Photonic Systems Engineer would contribute to at K2 include some or all of the following: - Architecting, developing, building, and deploying K2’s photonic circuits - Space-qualifying our COTS transceiver, and proposing on-orbit network-level CONOPs / FDIR to ensure packets aren’t dropped during radiation events - Consult on and contribute to optical payload software (on a limited, case-by-case basis) - Advise on intra-satellite networking **Responsibilities** - Responsible for delivering the... 1. system architecture, SNR budget, and system-specific modeling (ex. stray light, fiber coupling); 2. detailed optical design and tolerancing; 3. development plan (risk reduction timeline, division of labor, test strategy); 4. e…