OS Platform 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 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.

You will be responsible for architecting and evolving the core operating system capabilities of some of the largest spacecraft ever flown, ensuring a reliable boundary between SoC specific complexity and high-level flight software. You will write mission-critical code that maintains a secure boot chain and platform for safe operation of the vehicle. In your first 6 months you will develop core pieces of the software platform including tuning Linux to meet hard real-time requirements, and creating a shared sense of time across the vehicle. In your first year you will develop a strategy and tooling to ensure we can utilize the latest Kernel versions with confidence. In your first two years you will operate your code on multiple spacecraft, demonstrating robust performance in demanding missions.

Responsibilities

• Create software architecture for real-time, fault tolerant control of a 20kW+ spacecraft
• Maintain custom RT Linux Distribution for internally developed computers
• Maintain and customize UBoot to support a bullet-proof rollback system along with validation of authenticity at every step of the boot process
• Curate device trees across various boards to allow easy use of hardware specific features
• Create and utilize robust tools to allow for rapid deployment of quality code
• Perform data analysis and anomaly investigation to identify and resolve software bugs
• Support integration and testing of the spacecraft subsystems
• Build and maintain infrastructure to increase reliability when developing and testing software

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering, math, or a STEM discipline or 5+ years of professional experience in software engineering
• Development experience in Rust, C/C++, Python, VHDL, SystemVerilog

Nice to Have

• Fluency with Linux systems programming and driver development
• Familiarity with building embedded Linux images (Buildroot, Bitbake, Yocto)
• Experience building or working with hard real-time embedded systems (bare-metal or RT Linux)
• Familiarity with Precision Time Protocol (IEEE1588 PTP)
• Experience with spacecraft flight software development
• Experience with continuous integration and continuous delivery systems
• Basic knowledge of electronics, computer architecture, and control systems
• Experience with software verification and testing methods
• Experience with software and network performance analysis and debugging
• Experience with fault tolerant software design and implementation
• Experience defining and creating test systems for both hardware-in-the-loop and hardware-out-of-the-loop

Compensation and Benefits:

• Base salary range for this role is $160,000 - $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 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.