K2 Space

The Role

You will be responsible for designing power electronics for the highest-power Hall thrusters ever deployed in space. You will be able to develop a broad range of power electronics devices, including high-voltage power conversion components and power distribution architectures, capable of operating in the harshest space environments. You will prototype high power devices and execute environmental and performance testing to refine your designs. Following this, you will qualify your hardware for flight and begin designing even more capable devices for future generations of spacecraft. In your first two years you will have flown your power devices in space and developed novel designs across all power domains.

This role can be adapted to an individual contributor or leadership role based on the candidate's goals and qualifications.

Responsibilities

• Develop power electronics for a novel 20kW Hall thruster, including high voltage power conversion and power distribution devices
• Design of accurate telemetry and analog circuits for propulsion power electronics
• Serve as Responsible Engineer for flight hardware from conception through flight
• Qualify your designs through environmental testing including vibration, shock, thermal, and thermal vacuum testing
• Conduct radiation testing and ensure circuit designs survive worst case environments
• System level testing design and execution with the thruster and beyond
• Ensure data acquisitions systems capture all relevant telemetry for tests
• Work with software team to develop firmware
• Help to grow and manage the propulsion power processing unit (PPU) team

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering or equivalent combination of education and experience
• 5+ years of professional experience in the design, development, test, and evaluation of power electronics (research and extracurricular academic projects qualify)
• Expertise in PCB schematic capture and board layout, ideally using Altium
• Experience with testing and debugging your own circuitry
• Experience with general lab equipment for board bring-up (oscilloscopes, power supplies, etc.)

Nice to Have

• Experience with flying hardware in space
• Experience with high voltage (>100V), high power (>10kW) DC-DC power conversion systems, including voltage/current mode control and compensation design
• Proficient with circuit simulation tools such as LTspice
• Experience with environmental testing for space electronics such as thermal testing, vibration testing, TVAC testing, shock testing, radiation testing, and EMI/EMC testing
• Experience with power stage component selection for use in radiation environments
• Knowledge of filter design for stability, noise rejection, and surviving threat signals
• Experience programming in C/C++, Python, or Matlab

Compensation and Benefits:

• Base salary range for this role is $125,000 - $200,000 + 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 unlimited 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.

ITAR Requirements

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.

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.