Xona Space Systems

Xona is the navigational intelligence company bringing real-time, centimeter-level certainty to any device, anywhere on Earth. With Pulsar – the world’s most advanced PNT satellite infrastructure in Low Earth Orbit – Xona will offer a future-proof, backwards-compatible global positioning system optimized for absolute precision, superior power, and robust protection. We are seeking a GNC Software Engineer to join our Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) team. In this role, you will lead the development and integration of flight software that enables autonomous operation of spacecraft. You’ll work closely with GNC engineers to deploy estimators, controllers, and state machines in real-time flight environments, supporting missions from simulation through on-orbit or in-flight operation. What You'll Do Develop and integrate GNC algorithms using model-based development processes Implement state machines and FDIR (Fault Detection, Isolation, and Recovery) logic for robust autonomous operations Build and maintain GNC software interfaces within the flight software architecture Design, implement, and maintain software- and hardware-in-the-loop (SIL/HIL) test campaigns to validate GNC performance and reliability Develop unit tests and regression tests to ensure software reliability Collaborate across simulation, hardware, and embedded software teams to support end-to-end GNC system validation You Might Be a Fit If You have deployed estimators and controllers on spacecraft, UAVs, or autonomous systems You understand flight software design and integration for GNC applications You have experience with state machines and fault management logic in flight-critical systems You are detail-oriented in testing and validation You work effectively in Git and Linux-based development environments You are motivated by building robust and autonomous flight systems Bachelor’s and/or Master’s in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical, or Computer Engineering Expertise in Python, C++, and MATLAB Hands-on experience with SIL/HIL environments Familiarity with model-based development and auto coding workflows (e.g., Simulink + Embedded Coder) Experience developing test infrastructure for mission-critical systems To comply with U.S. Government space technology export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the United States (i.e. Green Card holder), or other protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3). We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.

Xona is the navigational intelligence company bringing real-time, centimeter-level certainty to any device, anywhere on Earth. With Pulsar – the world’s most advanced PNT satellite infrastructure in Low Earth Orbit – Xona will offer a future-proof, backwards-compatible global positioning system optimized for absolute precision, superior power, and robust protection. This Open Call application is for talented professionals who are excited about Xona’s mission but don’t see a current opening that’s the perfect match. By applying, you’ll join our talent community and be considered for upcoming opportunities across engineering, operations, and business functions. We Regularly Hire For Roles Such As Software Engineering (flight software, embedded systems, cloud infrastructure, test automation) GNC Engineering (Simulation and Algorithms, GNC Software Engineering) Electrical & Hardware Engineering (RF, power electronics, FPGA, satellite systems) Aerospace & Systems Engineering (orbits, operations, mission design, systems integration) Business Operations & Strategy (program management, partnerships, recruiting, finance) What We Look For Deep technical expertise or functional experience in your field Strong problem-solving skills and a passion for tackling hard technical challenges Collaborative mindset with the ability to thrive in a dynamic startup environment Excitement for Xona’s mission and the impact of resilient navigation systems on the future Requirements Xona makes offers based on geo-located salary bands using a compensation tool. We are required by law to include a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role. This compensation range is specific to Burlingame, California and takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets, experience, interview performance and training. It is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their role and comp, Xona expects to hire for this position near the middle of the range. Only in truly rare and exceptional circumstances, where an external candidate has experience, credentials, or expertise that far exceed those required or expected for the position, would Xona consider paying a salary or rate near the higher end of the range. To comply with U.S. Government space technology export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the United States (i.e. Green Card holder), or other protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3). We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.

Xona is the navigational intelligence company bringing real-time, centimeter-level certainty to any device, anywhere on Earth. With Pulsar – the world’s most advanced PNT satellite infrastructure in Low Earth Orbit – Xona will offer a future-proof, backwards-compatible global positioning system optimized for absolute precision, superior power, and robust protection. We are seeking a GNSS Test Engineer to join our team. As a member of this team, you will collaborate with our navigation and software engineers in the support of the development and certification of next generation LEO GNSS downstream applications. You will support end-user navigation performance tests and analyses with Xona LEO-based signals. You will work closely with the product team and the business team as well as interfacing with external customers and partners. Desired Qualifications Understanding and interpretation of GNSS Interface Control Documents (ICD) and data/file formats such as RINEX, sp3, NMEA. Experience with LEO satellite signals in navigation. Experience with novel GNSS simulator and receiver qualification. Experience in modelling jamming, interference, multipath environments. Experience with SDRs and GNU Radio. Experience with GNSS SDR. Experience with Python, C++, Matlab. Experience with Git and the Git workflow. Requirements Minimum of BS / BEng in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Geomatics, Aerospace, or related field and/or 2 years’ experience. Knowledge of RF testing and RF system-level test methods and verification plans. Familiarity with hardware simulation, lab testing, hardware-in-the-loop testing, data processing, and field testing. To comply with U.S. Government space technology export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the United States (i.e. Green Card holder), or other protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3). We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.

Xona is the navigational intelligence company bringing real-time, centimeter-level certainty to any device, anywhere on Earth. With Pulsar – the world’s most advanced PNT satellite infrastructure in Low Earth Orbit – Xona will offer a future-proof, backwards-compatible global positioning system optimized for absolute precision, superior power, and robust protection. As a Mechanical Engineer , you’ll play a critical role in designing and developing cutting-edge spacecraft subsystems and components. You’ll work alongside experts in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, RF, Thermal, and AI&T to create innovative, reliable systems. From concept to manufacturing, testing, and integration, you’ll be responsible for ensuring your designs are optimized for real-world performance. What You'll Be Doing Design spacecraft subsystems: Take ownership of mechanical design for various satellite subsystems, ensuring they meet both technical and performance requirements. Collaborate across disciplines: Work closely with structural, thermal, and electrical engineers to ensure your designs integrate seamlessly into the overall satellite system. Perform analysis and testing: Assist in conducting structural, thermal, and environmental analysis, supporting design validation and testing efforts to ensure your designs perform reliably. Develop technical documentation: Present and document new designs clearly, ensuring technical accuracy in design reviews, test plans, and procedures. Manage part designs and tolerancing: Use GD&T (Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing) to drive part designs and assembly tolerancing, and take ownership of release packages for manufacturing. Collaborate with vendors: Manage the production process, working closely with suppliers to ensure parts meet specifications and quality standards. Hands-on hardware experience: Be directly involved in testing flight hardware and supporting the troubleshooting and resolution of anomalies—both on the ground and in orbit. Contribute to continuous improvement: Participate in lessons learned and root-cause analysis, ensuring systems and processes are optimized over time. Desired Qualifications Relevant internship or industry experience: 1+ years of hands-on experience (internships, co-ops, or previous positions). Experience with GD&T: Knowledge and application of Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) for mechanical designs. Knowledge of spacecraft systems: Understanding of spacecraft subsystems (solar panels, reaction wheels, propulsion, etc.) and how they integrate into the overall satellite. Satellite program experience: Exposure to end-to-end satellite programs, with a focus on mechanical assembly and integration. Hands-on assembly experience: Experience designing or supporting the procurement of complex mechanical assemblies (e.g., 30-40 components) in aerospace or a related field. Requirements Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field. Solid technical foundation: Strong understanding of mechanical design principles, with the ability to problem-solve complex mechanical challenges. CAD skills: Experience with CAD software (SolidWorks preferred) and basic drawing and drafting skills. Excellent communication skills: Ability to clearly communicate technical concepts in both written and verbal formats (e.g., design reviews, test plans). Team player: A collaborative mindset with the ability to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team. Resourceful and proactive: Demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of a team to achieve project goals. To comply with U.S. Government space technology export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the United States (i.e. Green Card holder), or other protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3). We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.

Xona is the navigational intelligence company bringing real-time, centimeter-level certainty to any device, anywhere on Earth. With Pulsar – the world’s most advanced PNT satellite infrastructure in Low Earth Orbit – Xona will offer a future-proof, backwards-compatible global positioning system optimized for absolute precision, superior power, and robust protection. We’re seeking a hands-on Sr. FPGA Engineer to join our team and help design the next generation of space-based navigation payloads. You'll work on cutting-edge signal processing systems, secure hardware modules, and high-reliability designs that fly in orbit. If you thrive in a collaborative, fast-paced environment and are excited by the challenge of developing space-qualified digital systems, we want to hear from you. What You'll Do Architect and implement RTL for Xilinx RFSoC and other space-qualified FPGAs. Design high-performance DSP and signal generation modules for navigation waveforms (e.g., PRN code generation, mixers, modulators). Develop secure hardware blocks (e.g., SHA-256, HMAC) for authentication and anti-spoofing. Build robust data pipelines to move and process signal streams in real-time. Design with space in mind: mitigate single event upsets (SEUs), implement fault detection/correction, and optimize for radiation-prone environments. Work closely with cross functional teams to bring up payload functionality on actual satellite hardware. Simulate, verify, and test your designs rigorously - then see them fly. Desired Qualifications Experience designing for space: SEU mitigation, TMR, scrubbing, or rad-hard flows. GNSS or navigation signal processing expertise (GPS, Galileo, etc.). Crypto hardware design (e.g., SHA-2, HMAC, AES) and experience with secure communication protocols. Familiarity with JESD204B/C, high-speed serial I/O, or RF front-end interfacing. Embedded software experience on ARM (e.g., for control/config of FPGA fabric). Python or TCL scripting for test automation and build flows. Knowledge of space qualification processes, radiation testing, or flight hardware integration, with preference for strong hardware-in-the-loop devops practices. C/C++ programming experience. Experience with digital generation of high performance RF signals. Requirements Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical or Computer Engineering (or similar). 3+ years of FPGA development experience using Verilog, VHDL, or SystemVerilog. Experience with HDL simulation and verification. Proven experience with AMD/Xilinx platforms-ideally RFSoC or Zynq Ultrascale+ - and their embedded PL+PS architectures. Solid background in DSP fundamentals and real-time signal processing in hardware. Strong grasp of on-chip dataflow, clock domain crossing, and AXI/AXI-Stream buses. Comfortable using Vivado, Riviera Pro, and Synplify. Proven track record of developing in a collaborative environment, including familiarity with git/gitlab and strong documentation discipline. Full-time, onsite in Burlingame, California (this role is not remote or hybrid) To comply with U.S. Government space technology export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the United States (i.e. Green Card holder), or other protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3). We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.

Xona is the navigational intelligence company bringing real-time, centimeter-level certainty to any device, anywhere on Earth. With Pulsar – the world’s most advanced PNT satellite infrastructure in Low Earth Orbit – Xona will offer a future-proof, backwards-compatible global positioning system optimized for absolute precision, superior power, and robust protection. We’re looking to add a detail-oriented and driven Junior Accountant to support our finance team and help build a world-class accounting function from the ground up. What You’ll Do Assist with daily accounting operations including accounts payable, accounts receivable, and general ledger entries Support month-end and year-end close activities including journal entries and account reconciliations Process invoices, vendor payments, employee expense reports, and credit card reconciliations Help maintain accurate financial records and documentation in accordance with GAAP Assist with audits, tax filings, and compliance reporting Work closely with the finance lead on budget tracking, forecasting, and financial reporting Collaborate cross-functionally with operations, procurement, and engineering to support purchasing and expense processes Participate in the continuous improvement of accounting procedures and internal controls Requirements Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field 0–2 years of accounting experience (internships welcome) Understanding of fundamental accounting principles and practices (GAAP) Proficiency with spreadsheets (Excel); familiarity with QuickBooks, NetSuite, or similar ERP software a plus Strong attention to detail and organizational skills Ability to work independently and prioritize in a dynamic, fast-growth startup environment Effective written and verbal communication skills Interest in aerospace, satellite systems, or technology-driven industries is highly desirable To comply with U.S. Government space technology export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the United States (i.e. Green Card holder), or other protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3). We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.

Xona is the navigational intelligence company bringing real-time, centimeter-level certainty to any device, anywhere on Earth. With Pulsar – the world’s most advanced PNT satellite infrastructure in Low Earth Orbit – Xona will offer a future-proof, backwards-compatible global positioning system optimized for absolute precision, superior power, and robust protection. We’re seeking a Senior GNC Simulation and Algorithms Engineer to design, develop, and validate high-fidelity simulations and control algorithms for advanced aerospace systems. This role is ideal for an engineer with strong analytical skills and hands-on experience in guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) who thrives at the intersection of modeling, coding, and flight system development. What You’ll Do Develop and maintain 6-DOF attitude and orbit simulations, including modeling of spacecraft dynamics, environmental disturbances, and sensor/actuator behavior Perform Monte Carlo analyses to evaluate system performance and robustness Design and implement control algorithms (PID, LQR, optimal controllers) and state estimators (Kalman filters) Conduct Monte Carlo simulations for performance validation, fault injection, and design robustness Conduct system identification and model validation from flight or test data Write, test, and optimize algorithms in MATLAB and C++ Collaborate in a Git-based, Linux development environment alongside multidisciplinary teams You Might Be a Fit If You have deep experience with spacecraft dynamics and control, including 6DOF simulation environments You’ve developed and tested flight control and estimation software for real space/aerial/ground missions You’re comfortable building estimators like Kalman filters and validating them with data You’re skilled in MATLAB and C++, and experienced working in version-controlled Linux-based environments You have a strong understanding of system modeling, identification, and performance analysis You thrive in a fast-paced, hands-on engineering environment and enjoy solving hard technical problems Requirements Master’s or Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, Control Systems, Applied Physics, or a related field Experience with GNC algorithm development for LEO, GEO, or interplanetary satellite platforms Strong understanding of orbital mechanics, rigid body dynamics, and estimation theory Demonstrated expertise in Monte Carlo analysis, system identification, and HIL testing To comply with U.S. Government space technology export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the United States (i.e. Green Card holder), or other protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3). We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.