Director of Flight Software Engineering, Xona Space Systems
$218-274k
Offers equity
Office located in Burlingame, CA
Satellite navigation system
Be an early applicant
Satellite navigation system
101-200 employees
Be an early applicant
$218-274k
Offers equity
Office located in Burlingame, CA
101-200 employees
Company mission
To remove the boundaries from modern technologies by providing precise and protected navigation services anywhere on Earth.
Role
Who you are
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related STEM field (or equivalent practical experience; additional years of relevant experience may substitute for formal education)
- 10+ years of professional software engineering experience, including significant time in embedded, real-time, or high-reliability systems
- 3+ years of people leadership experience managing software engineers or technical leads (hiring, performance management, career development)
- Demonstrated experience leading software architecture and delivery for complex systems (aerospace, automotive, defense, or similar domains preferred)
- Hands-on background with modern software practices, including CI/CD pipelines, configuration management, and automated 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)
Desirable
- 5+ years developing or leading embedded/flight software in aerospace or space systems
- Direct experience taking satellite or spacecraft software from early design through launch and on-orbit operations
- Experience architecting or managing software for multi-satellite fleets, including over-the-air updates, fault management, and constellation-scale operations
- Familiarity with real-time operating systems (RTOS), space flight software frameworks (e.g., cFS, F´, or similar), C/C++, and hardware/software integration & test environments
- Track record of building high-reliability processes and cultures in fast-moving hardware/software organizations
- Ability to drive consensus across multi-disciplinary teams and influence technical and program decisions at the senior leadership level
What the job involves
- As Director of Flight Software Engineering, you will own the architecture, delivery, and team that powers the onboard software for the Xona satellite bus and the growing Pulsar constellation
- You will lead embedded flight software development, system-level verification & validation, and the processes that enable reliable, scalable software across hundreds of satellites
- This is a high-impact leadership role at the intersection of real-time embedded systems, constellation-scale operations, and high-reliability space software
- Lead and grow the Flight Software team (embedded developers + verification & validation engineers) responsible for the scalable onboard software architecture running across the Pulsar constellation
- Define and evolve the flight software architecture, interfaces, and development roadmap in close partnership with systems, avionics, payload, GNC, and ground segment teams
- Own end-to-end delivery: requirements decomposition, design, implementation, unit/integration testing, hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) validation, and support through launch and on-orbit operations
- Build a high-performing organization through hiring, coaching, individual development plans, and a culture of ownership, technical excellence, and cross-functional collaboration
- Establish and continuously improve software development practices (configuration management, CI/CD, unit testing, code quality, documentation) that scale with constellation growth and over-the-air update needs
- Drive quality, reliability, and process maturity - measuring team output against program commitments and implementing improvements that reduce risk and cost
- Partner with senior leadership on technology strategy, long-term roadmap recommendations, and resource planning for current and future satellite programs
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 $270 million to date, its 2026 round being used to 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
Insights
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, Vice President & Navigation Services)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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