Software Engineer, Xona Space Systems
Build & Release
$132-178k
Offers Equity
More information about location
Office located in Burlingame, CA
Satellite navigation system
Open for applications
Satellite navigation system
21-100 employees
Open for applications
$132-178k
Offers Equity
More information about location
Office located in Burlingame, CA
21-100 employees
Company mission
To remove the boundaries from modern technologies by providing precise and protected navigation services anywhere on Earth.
Role
Who you are
- 3+ years of experience in Build & Release Engineering, Developer Infrastructure, or DevOps supporting complex C++ codebases
- Advanced proficiency with CMake and GNU Make/Ninja
- Strong Linux command-line and Bash scripting skills
- Strong understanding of the C++ build, compilation, and linking lifecycle
- Familiarity with modern C++ standards (C++17/20/23)
- Experience managing complex dependency graphs and modular build targets
Desirable
- Experience developing or supporting Embedded Linux systems using Yocto, Buildroot, or similar tools
- Experience with hardware emulation tools such as QEMU and containerization platforms such as Docker
- Familiarity with GitLab CI workflows
- Experience working on embedded, aerospace, robotics, or other hardware-integrated software systems
- Experience optimizing large-scale build systems using Bazel, remote execution, or similar distributed build technologies
- Knowledge of linker internals, symbol visibility, and binary analysis tools such as ldd, nm, objdump, and readelf
- Familiarity with static and dynamic analysis tools such as Clang-Tidy, AddressSanitizer (ASan), and SonarQube
What the job involves
- We are looking for a Build & Release Software Engineer to own our build systems, CI/CD infrastructure, and release tooling for the software powering Xona's satellite systems
- You'll improve developer productivity while ensuring reliable, repeatable builds and releases across both simulation and hardware-integrated environments
- Design, maintain, and optimize cross-platform build systems using tools such as CMake and Bazel
- Manage and upgrade compiler toolchains (GCC, Clang, etc.) while handling complex dependency graphs, third-party libraries, and internal package management
- Own and improve CI/CD workflows supporting large-scale C++ applications
- Diagnose and optimize compilation and linking bottlenecks through caching, parallelization, and distributed build strategies
- Ensure seamless cross-compilation across multiple architectures, including x86 and ARM
- Support testing in containerized and emulated environments using technologies such as Docker and QEMU
- Write robust tooling and automation scripts in Python and Bash for environment provisioning, static analysis, and artifact generation
- Partner closely with C++ software engineers to improve modular architecture, dependency management, and overall build reliability
- Ensure reproducible build and release environments across local development, CI, and hardware-integrated systems
Our take
Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) is crucial for autonomy, tying vehicles to their environment and making autonomous operation possible. Xona Space Systems is developing a network of small satellites to provide high-precision PNT services, essential for modern technologies like autonomous vehicles and robotics.
The company has set its sites on pushing the limits of modern technology, setting itself apart in its space with its PULSAR service, which offers superior accuracy, availability, and security compared to traditional GPS. This makes it crucial for the widespread adoption of autonomous systems in unstructured environments.
The company has secured $150 million to date, the most recent round of which will accelerate the deployment of its low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation. Its partnerships with the US Space Force and industry leaders highlight the growing confidence in its innovative approach, while future plans include the commercialisation of PULSAR, which will enable autonomous systems to operate effectively anywhere.
Kirsty
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Company
Funding (last 2 of 10 rounds)
Mar 2026
$170m
SERIES C
Jun 2025
$92m
SERIES B
Total funding: $336.3m
Company HQ
Baywood Park, CA
Leadership
Brian Manning
(Co-Founder & CEO)Previously worked as a Responsible Engineer on Thrust Structure for SpaceX, and an Engineering Manager for Power Solutions International.
Tyler Reid
(Co-Founder & CTO)Was also a Lecturer at Stanford University and a Research Engineer in Controls and Automated Systems at Ford Motor Company.
Adrien Perkins
(Co-Founder & VP of Engineering)Worked as a Research Assistant for Stanford University and was Lead Software Developer at Callsnapp.
Bryan Chan
(Co-Founder & VP of Corporate Strategy)Also the Co-Founder, President and CEO at Night Crew Labs. Previously Co-founded and was Technical Director for Mothership Communications.
Jerami Martin
(Co-Founder & Director of Payload Mechanical)Also works as a Mechanical Design and Systems Engineer at Pumpkin. Prior to this, they were an Engineer at Crosstrac Engineering.
Kazuma Gunning
(Co-Founder & Director of Navigation and Software)Previously worked as a GNSS Modeling and Simulation Engineer for Booz Allen Hamilton and was a Doctoral Student at Stanford University.
Paul Tarantino
(Co-Founder & Director of Integration and Test)After studying at Stanford University, they went on to work as a Propulsion and Fluid Flight Systems Engineering Intern for the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
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