Principal Hardware Reliability Engineer

Job description

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** As a technical authority on hardware reliability, you will own the development and execution of reliability strategies that enable our spacecraft to meet ambitious vehicle and constellation-level targets for probability of success and availability. You will define reliability requirements, build and apply advanced semi-empirical modeling techniques, and drive testing programs that identify and mitigate risks early in development. This role sits at the intersection of design, test, systems, and manufacturing, where you will integrate reliability models with program risk management and flow down clear, actionable requirements across subsystems. You will lead root cause investigations on critical hardware issues, mentor engineers across the reliability function, and play a key role in shaping K2’s reliability strategy as we scale toward high-volume satellite production. The ideal candidate is a technically strong, hands-on engineer who thrives in a fast-paced startup environment and is excited to build the reliability foundation for a new generation of large, capable spacecraft. **Responsibilities** - Own the development and maintenance of top-level reliability requirements, models, and allocations across the full spacecraft and constellation portfolio to meet vehicle and constellation-level targets for probability of success and availability - Define and drive HALT/HASS strategies, accelerated testing plans, and reliability growth programs across spacecraft development and production, including test standardization, lot acceptance derivations, and success-run demonstration analysis to confirm campaigns meet flight-life requirements - Establish and evolve reliability modelling frameworks, including Weibull and Kaplan-Meier analysis, accelerated failure time (AFT) modeling (e.g., Norris-Landzberg, Arrhenius), Monte Carlo simulations, and Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA), reconciling QTP, ATP, HALT, HASS, and flight telemetry data onto a single wear-out model - Integrate reliability analyses with program risk management and drive actionable insights that influence design, manufacturing, and test decisions - Flow down reliability requirements to subsystems, including margins, screening levels, derating guidelines, and test requirements, and ensure consistent application across programs - Lead root cause investigations on critical hardware failures and drive systemic corrective actions that improve product robustness and mission reliability - Collaborate closely with design, systems, test, and manufacturing teams to embed reliability principles early in the development process and optimize for mass production - Mentor and develop junior and mid-level engineers on reliability methods, analysis techniques, and best practices, while helping shape the long-term technical direction and growth of the reliability function at K2 Space - Serve as a technical authority on reliability across multiple spacecraft programs, advising leadership on risk trade-offs and reliability strategy - Own FRACAS and test-effectiveness tracking to close the loop between failure data, corrective actions, and reliability predictions - Partner with responsible engineers to implement telemetry and instrumentation for degradation observability on flight and test hardware - Advance degradation-based and Bayesian reliability methods, including Gamma/Wiener process degradation models and MCMC-based hierarchical pooling, to extend the reliability framework beyond binary pass/fail testing **Qualifications** - S. degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, electrical engineering, materials science, or other related discipline - 8+ years of experience in reliability engineering, hardware testing, failure analysis, or related fields in the space, automotive, semiconductor, or other high-reliability industries **Nice to have** - S. or PhD in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, chemical engineering, materials science, or other related discipline - Experience developing and executing life testing methods, including accelerated life testing (ALT) and reliability growth programs - Experience with accelerated failure time (AFT) modeling, including Norris-Landzberg and Arrhenius acceleration models, for translating ground test severity to flight conditions - Experience reconciling multiple ground test sources (QTP, ATP, HALT, HASS) and flight telemetry onto a single reliability model, including distinguishing workmanship/infant-mortality failure modes from wear-out mechanisms - Familiarity with success-run and zero-failure demonstration statistics, and sample-size/DOE methods for reliability test planning - Exposure to degradation-based reliability modeling (Gamma or Wiener process models, accelerated degradation testing) as a complement to binary pass/fail Weibull analysis - Experience with thermal, vibration, and TVAC qualification and acceptance testing approaches - Experience with EEE components (Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical), including semiconductor devices and packaging technologies, in high-reliability or space applications - Experience building reliability prediction models (Weibull, Kaplan-Meier, Monte Carlo, reliability block diagrams) and performing system-level analyses (FTA, PRA) - Strong foundation in statistical modeling and data analysis, with experience developing custom models for engineering or production data. Experience with Bayesian hierarchical modeling and MCMC tools (e.g., PyMC, Stan, NumPyro) for reliability parameter estimation is a plus - Proficiency in programming languages (such as Python or C++) for data analysis, statistical modeling, and reliability calculations - Familiarity with derating practices, Design for Excellence (DFX), and requirements flow-down in complex hardware systems - Experience with Physics of Failure (PoF) methodologies, including Sherlock or similar modeling tools, and identification of dominant failure mechanisms in electronic hardware and EEE components - Experience with reliability growth tracking or working toward probability of success / availability targets on vehicles or constellations - Strong cross-functional communication skills and ability to clearly present technical findings to both engineering and leadership teams - Experience in a fast-paced startup or new-space environment with high ownership and broad scope - Familiarity with FRACAS and test-effectiveness tracking processes **Compensation and Benefits:** - Base salary range for this role is $185,000 - $220,000 + 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](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/22/120.15) 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.