Technical Program Manager, Xona Space Systems
$140-210k
Offers Equity
More information about location
Office located in Burlingame, CA
Satellite navigation system
Be an early applicant
Satellite navigation system
21-100 employees
Be an early applicant
$140-210k
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
- Thrives working in a startup or fast-paced environment where things can move and evolve rapidly
- Program or project management experience in complex technical hardware/software programs
- Proven success coordinating across diverse technical teams and external stakeholders
- Strong systems thinking and ability to track interdependencies across hardware, software, operations, and business needs
- Excellent communication and organizational skills
- Demonstrated ability to manage risks, resolve conflicts, and keep complex programs on track
Desirable
- Experience with spacecraft or launch vehicle development and operations
- Familiarity with satellite ground systems, mission operations, or GNSS/navigation services
- PMP, Agile, or other program management certifications
What the job involves
- As a Technical Program Manager, you’ll drive the planning, coordination, and execution of complex satellite navigation programs, ensuring alignment across engineering, product, and operations teams
- This role is critical in delivering mission success by turning high-level objectives into actionable roadmaps and results
- Program Leadership: Drive the end-to-end coordination of the Pulsar constellation deployment, ensuring alignment across launch providers, internal teams, and external partners
- Schedule & Deliverables: Own and manage program timelines, dependencies, and milestones to keep the constellation build-out on track
- Cross-Team Coordination: Facilitate communication across hardware, software, ground operations, and business teams to ensure deliverables are met
- Supplier & Partner Management: Work closely with external suppliers and launch providers to synchronize schedules, technical requirements, and deliverables
- Customer Milestones: Track and ensure that commitments and delivery timelines to customers are achieved
- Risk Management: Identify, communicate, and work with leadership and technical teams to proactively resolve risks and blockers
- Leadership Interface: Provide regular updates to the leadership team, escalating issues and proposing solutions to maintain program momentum
- Process Development: Implement and improve program management processes, tools, and reporting structures to scale with the company’s growth
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 9 rounds)
Jun 2025
$92m
SERIES B
Jun 2025
$20m
GRANT
Total funding: $166.3m
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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