GNC Engineer, Xona Space Systems
$140-180k
+ Equity
Office located in Burlingame, CA
Satellite navigation system
Open for applications
Satellite navigation system
21-100 employees
Open for applications
$140-180k
+ Equity
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
- Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical, Computer Engineering, or a related field
- Experience deploying estimators and/or controllers on spacecraft, UAVs, or autonomous systems
- Strong understanding of flight software design and integration for GNC applications
- Experience implementing state machines and fault-management logic in flight-critical systems
- Proficiency working in Git-based, Linux development environments
- Strong attention to detail in testing, validation, and system reliability
- Clear communicator who works effectively across multidisciplinary engineering teams
- 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
- Master’s or PhD in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical, or Computer Engineering
- Proficiency in Python, C++, and MATLAB
- Hands-on experience with SIL and HIL test environments
- Familiarity with model-based development and autocoding workflows (e.g., Simulink + Embedded Coder)
- Experience building or maintaining test infrastructure for mission-critical or safety-critical systems
What the job involves
- We are seeking a GNC 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
- Develop and integrate GNC flight software that enables autonomous spacecraft operations
- Implement estimators, controllers, and state machines in real-time flight environments
- Design and implement Fault Detection, Isolation, and Recovery (FDIR) logic for flight-critical systems
- Build and maintain GNC software interfaces within the broader flight software architecture
- Design, execute, and maintain Software-in-the-Loop (SIL) and Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) test campaigns to validate performance and robustness
- Develop unit tests and regression tests to ensure reliability across mission phases
- Collaborate closely with simulation, embedded software, hardware, and systems teams to support end-to-end GNC validation from simulation through on-orbit operations
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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