Los Angeles, United States
Avionics Test Engineer
K2 Space · Los Angeles · United States
Posted: 12/11/2025 · Last checked: 10/12/2026
Job description
Quoted in full from K2 Space's job posting. Gavroche does not edit it.
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 Avionics testing involving the computing, data acquisition, RF, and power subsystems that are key to our satellite operation. In your first 6 months, you will be pivotal in developing production quality test hardware and software to deliver flight avionics through ATP and QTP for the first Mega satellite constellation. You will be working alongside the Electrical and RF Engineering teams to interface with Avionics hardware, validate prototype designs, define test requirements, and design test infrastructure to meet critical programmatic milestones such as delivery of flight hardware to vehicle integration. In your first year, you will lead multidisciplinary test campaigns, root cause investigations, and production improvements to ensure reliability and scalability.
Responsibilities
- Design and fabricate test hardware, harnessing, and test systems to support electrical and RF development testing
- Develop modular, reusable test automation software and drivers in Linux, Python, C++, Rust, etc.
- Execute development and production tests to meet internal and external customer needs
- Lead satellite subsystem test campaigns from kickoff, through test report, and beyond
- Develop data acquisition, control, and instrumentation systems to test at the integrated level
- Own the project management of multiple test assets and acceptance testing of flight avionics including upgrades to support hardware lifecycle
- Design device simulators deployed across component subsystem and HITL testbeds
- Collaborate with a cross-functional team to establish product requirements, testing methods, and project test schedules
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in electrical, computer, or other relevant engineering discipline or any equivalent combination of education and experience
- 2+ years of experience with test hardware design and software management
- Strong programming abilities (Python, C++, Rust)
- Experience with RF test equipment such as vector network analyzers (VNA), spectrum analyzer, etc.
Nice to Have
- Experience with data acquisition, controls, and dedicated test equipment
- Familiarity with SMC-S-016 or MIL-STD-810 testing methods, including vibration, shock, and thermal testing
- Experience with software-defined radio hardware development, including high-speed RF data converters (digital to analog and analog to digital converters), clock trees, and data converter interfaces
- Experience with calibration of RF equipment, dataflow testing, and radiated end-to-end validation
- Experience with the practical application of serial and ethernet communications
- Understanding of the failure modes of electrical systems in space environments
- Demonstrated ability to own electrical hardware test systems within an integrated engineering team
- Creative problem solver that can balance schedule, resource, and technical constraints
Compensation and Benefits:
- Base salary range for this role is $100,000 - $150,000 + 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.
Similar roles in Los Angeles
- Integration & Test Engineer · K2 Space, Los Angeles
- Test Engineer - New Grad · General Matter, Los Angeles
- Senior Integration & Test Engineer · K2 Space, Los Angeles
- Senior Avionics Test Engineer - Optical · K2 Space, Los Angeles
- Test Engineer - Development · General Matter, Los Angeles
- Senior Research and Development - R&D - Networked Electronic Warfare Test Engineer · Silvus Technologies, Los Angeles
200 open roles like this one; at most three per employer shown.
What qa / test engineer adverts in the United States state
Middle half: 120,000 – 170,000 USD a year; median 140,000 USD.
From 331 adverts by 91 employers that state a salary, annualised.
How qa / test engineer roles in the United States are worked
0% fully remote · 13% hybrid · 87% do not say
Of 63 adverts. An advert that does not state a work mode is counted as not saying, not as on-site.
New openings in Los Angeles, by week
- 7/20/2026 54
- 7/27/2026 51
- 8/3/2026 89
- 8/10/2026 81
- 8/17/2026 103
- 8/24/2026 94
- 8/31/2026 121
- 9/7/2026 99
- 9/14/2026 130
- 9/21/2026 125
- 9/28/2026 152
- 10/5/2026 164
- 10/12/2026 10
1,273 openings over 12 weeks, by the week they were published.
Other roles at K2 Space
- Application Software Engineer · Los Angeles
- Flight Software Engineer · Seattle
- Flight Software Engineer · Los Angeles
- Ground Software Engineer · Los Angeles
- Ground Software Engineer · Seattle
- Principal Flight Software Engineer · Los Angeles
214 open.