Principal Hardware Reliability Engineer

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 l