Senior Photonics Engineer, Free-Space Optics

The role

You will define how K2 measures and models the atmosphere and design optical hardware to work through it. You will work with free-space optical communications, adaptive optics, and integrated photonics across lab experiments and field campaigns.

What you will do

• Design and build tabletop experiments that emulate optical propagation through turbulent media.
• Put receivers in the loop and measure coupling efficiency, fading, bit error rate, and control-loop bandwidth.
• Characterize wavefront sensing and correction hardware.
• Conduct outdoor horizontal-path links on rooftops and test ranges.
• Perform night campaigns at mountaintop optical ground stations and observatories.
• Own K2's optical propagation and channel models in Python.
• Define the experiment roadmap and lab-to-field test plan.
• Automate experiments on the team's shared test framework.
• Mentor engineers and technicians supporting the experiments.

Required qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in optics, physics, electrical engineering, or a related technical field.
• 5+ years of hands-on free-space optics experience in free-space optical communications, adaptive optics, or atmospheric propagation (a relevant PhD counts toward this).
• Led free-space optical experiments end to end: designing and aligning benches, taking data, and correlating it with models.
• Working knowledge of optical turbulence and propagation theory (Cn², Fried parameter, Rytov variance), with Python for modeling and analysis.

Nice to have

• MS or PhD in optics, physics, or a related field.
• Adaptive optics experience in astronomy, beam control, or free-space optical communications.
• Experience with photonic integrated circuits, photonic lanterns, or fiber coupling through turbulence.
• Pointing, acquisition, and tracking (fast steering mirrors, beacon tracking) or optical link performance analysis (BER, SNR, scintillation and fading).
• Spatial light modulators, deformable or fast steering mirrors, or phase-plate turbulence emulators.
• Field campaigns at an observatory or outdoor optical test range, including night operations.
• Remote sensing, lidar, or atmospheric characterization instruments.
• Wave-optics simulation tools (e.g., AOTools, WaveProp) and Zemax.

Benefits

• Paid time off
• Medical/dental/vision coverage
• Life insurance
• Paid parental leave

Before you apply

• Must be a U.S. person as defined by 22 C.F.R. § 120.15 or otherwise eligible for a federally issued export control license.

About the company

K2 is building the largest and highest-power satellites ever flown for missions from LEO to deep space. The company is mass-producing high-power satellite platforms and is a high-growth Series D-funded company.