---
title: 'Electrical Engineer at Xona Space Systems'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/electrical-engineer-xona-space-systems-burlingame-k0kdmc85kx2h'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-10-28'
---

# Electrical Engineer at Xona Space Systems

- **Company:** Xona Space Systems
- **Location:** Burlingame, CA
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-10-24
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-28
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/xona-space/263b6ad3-f9bc-4ed5-afc7-deef2788ef4b

## Job description

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.

## Role Overview

We are looking for an Electrical Engineer to join our satellite development team. In this role, you will design, develop, and integrate electrical systems that power and control spacecraft propulsion systems, working closely with engineers from other subsystems to integrate your designs from concept through flight.

This is a hands-on, collaborative role where you’ll lead electrical hardware design, lab testing, and debugging across low-to-high voltage subsystems. This includes embedded microcontroller hardware, power tree design, precision sensor acquisition, valve drivers, and dedicated DC/DC converters. You will work alongside firmware and power electronics engineers and collaborate closely with propulsion and avionics teams to ensure hardware reliability in harsh space environments.

## What You’ll Do

- Hardware Design: Design and develop electrical subsystems for propulsion electronics, including embedded microcontroller hardware, sensor interfaces, valve drivers, and power conversion.
- PCB Development: Lead schematic capture and multi-layer PCB layout design from breadboard prototypes to flight hardware.
- Power & Driver Stages: Design, tune, and validate DC/DC converters and driver stages for inductive and resistive loads.
- Analog Acquisition: Implement precision analog front-ends for critical telemetry, including current sensing (high-side/low-side), pressure transducers, and temperature monitoring.
- Firmware Collaboration: Collaborate closely with embedded firmware engineers to define hardware/firmware interfaces, peripheral pin mappings, register maps, and communication protocols (CAN, SPI, I2C, UART, RS-422).
- Reviews & Quality: Conduct hardware design and layout reviews. Support component sourcing while ensuring compliance with standards and derating guidelines.
- Testing & Automation: Develop and execute electrical test plans from breadboard to flight hardware, writing Python scripts for test automation and data logging.
- Lab Debugging: Troubleshoot and debug electrical systems in a lab environment using test equipment (e.g., oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, electronic dynamic loads, power meters).
- Documentation: Develop electrical interface documentation (ICDs) and test procedures for spacecraft subsystems.
- Integration Support: Support assembly, integration, and test (AIT) activities, including environmental testing (e.g., TVAC, vibration, EMI/EMC).

Required Qualifications

- Education: B.S. in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field.
- Experience: 2+ years taking mixed-signal designs from schematics to manufacturing and lab bring-up.
- EDA & Modeling: Familiarity with electrical design and simulation tools (e.g., Altium, KiCad, SPICE).
- Core Technical: Fundamental understanding of mixed-signal electronics, power tree design, power conversion, signal integrity, and hardware reliability in harsh space environments.
- Embedded HW: Hands-on experience designing embedded microcontroller hardware and peripheral interfaces (CAN, SPI, I2C, UART, RS-422).
- Power Electronics: Experience designing driver circuits for inductive loads (valves, valve drivers, solenoids) and closed-loop DC/DC converters. High-voltage power electronics experience is a plus.
- Analog Design: Strong background in precision sensor acquisition and analog signal conditioning (op-amps, filtering, ADC/DAC interfacing).
- Lab Validation: Hands-on experience with electrical testing, debugging (oscilloscopes, dynamic loads, power meters), and Python test scripting.

## Preferred Qualifications

- Exposure to satellite systems, avionics, or electrical power systems.
- Experience with space environmental testing (e.g., TVAC, vibration, EMI/EMC per MIL-STD-461) and component derating standards (e.g., NASA EEE-INST-002).
- Experience developing hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulators
- Familiarity with reading embedded C/C++ to collaborate seamlessly with firmware engineers during low-level driver bring-up and boundary-scan debugging.

For U.S. Roles: 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).

For U.K. Roles: To comply with U.K. regulations, this role requires Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) checks, and successful candidates must be eligible to obtain UK Security Clearance (SC).

For Canada Roles: Successful candidates must obtain and hold a security clearance at the reliability status level, and pass security assessment for the Canadian Controlled Goods Program (CGP) and ITAR.

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.

## About Xona Space Systems

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Xona Space Systems is building Pulsar, a high-integrity positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) constellation in Low Earth Orbit that delivers authenticated, centimeter-accurate services as a resilient alternative to GPS.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Series C – $170M raised ~April 2026)
- **Headquarters**: Burlingame, California, USA (also offices in Montreal, Canada and London, England)
- **Founded**: 2019
- **Founders**: Brian Manning (CEO), Tyler Reid (CTO), Adrien Perkins (VP of Engineering)

## Core Business
- **Primary industries**: Aerospace / Satellite Navigation, Defense & Critical Infrastructure, Autonomous Systems
- **Target customers**: B2B / B2G – enterprise, government, defense, autonomous robotics, construction, industrial IoT, and any application requiring resilient PNT
- **Mission**: “Unlock the potential of tomorrow’s technologies by providing the most robust and accurate navigation and timing services on Earth.”

## Products & Services
- **Pulsar Constellation**: A network of 258 small, software-defined satellites in LEO broadcasting secured, authenticated PNT signals. Offers native user accuracy at centimeter level and is designed to upgrade existing GPS devices via a software update.
- **Pulsar‑Verified Receivers & Simulators**: Certified hardware and test platforms for integrators. Includes reference designs and simulation tools.
- **Time Authentication Service**: A cryptographic layer that validates the origin and integrity of timing signals, providing resilience against spoofing and jamming.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation / Market Cap**: Not publicly disclosed (conflicting reports may exist; no official figure available)
- **Key Metric**: Total funding $327.53M (CB Insights); latest Series C closed ~April 2026 (amount $170M)
- **Notable Investors / Partners**: Not publicly disclosed (funding specifics unknown). Key partners include Murata (MOU for LEO navigation in industrial applications), the Government of Canada (R&D collaboration to strengthen timing resilience), and the National Research Council of Canada.
- **Growth Signals**: 
  - Successfully launched Pulsar‑0, the first commercially funded navigation satellite, now in orbit for one year (June 2026).
  - 11+ patents filed (encrypted navigation signals, wireless locating, etc.).
  - Active hiring in Burlingame, Montreal, and London; 828 employees on LinkedIn as of mid‑2026.
  - Collaboration with ISED, NRC, and DRDC to broadcast Canada’s official time signal (UTC(NRC)) from space.

## Competitive Advantages
- **First‑mover with a privately funded navigation satellite** – Pulsar‑0 set a precedent for commercial LEO PNT.
- **Authenticated signals** – Cryptographic security native to the signal provides spoofing/jamming resistance unmatched by traditional GPS.
- **Software‑defined satellites** – Rapid constellation scaling and in‑orbit updates at a fraction of legacy system cost.
- **Multi‑national timing broadcast** – Ability to carry multiple official time standards (US, UK, Canada) on a shared infrastructure, creating sovereign resilience for allies.

## Strategic Focus
- **Constellation deployment** – Scale from prototype (Pulsar‑0) to a full production fleet of 258 satellites.
- **Ecosystem enablement** – Grow partner network of receiver makers, chipset vendors, and integrators (e.g., Murata, government bodies).
- **Geographic expansion** – Establish a strong presence in Canada (Montreal) and the UK (London) while deepening relationships with allied governments.
- **Defense & critical infrastructure** – Pursue contracts that require autonomous, tamper‑proof PNT for military, aviation, and grid timing.

## Why Work Here
- **Impact** – Work on “a generational technology at startup speed”; decisions are pushed to the people closest to the work. Culture of ownership and rapid iteration.
- **Compensation** – Competitive salary, equity (ownership culture), 401(k) / Roth 401(k).
- **Benefits** – 95% of healthcare premiums covered for US employees (50% for dependents); HSA/FSA options; supportive parental leave (equitable); flexible time off.
- **Workplace** – Burlingame office with catered lunches twice a week, snacks, drinks, coffee. Roles also in Montreal and London (hybrid likely per location, but remote‑first not stated).
- **Culture** – Engineering‑driven, fast‑shipping, collaborative; team includes leaders from industry and academia.

## Sources
1. [xonaspace.com](https://www.xonaspace.com/)
2. [xonaspace.com/careers](https://www.xonaspace.com/careers)
3. [xonaspace.com/mission](https://www.xonaspace.com/mission)
4. [cbinsights.com](https://www.cbinsights.com/company/xonaspace)
5. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/xona-space-systems)

## Other roles at Xona Space Systems

- [Technical Program Manager, Satellite](https://feeny.ai/job/technical-program-manager-satellite-xona-space-systems-burlingame-9cn9ds1q4gbv) — Burlingame, CA
- [Technical Recruiter](https://feeny.ai/job/technical-recruiter-xona-space-systems-montreal-gad04nx4ktzw) — Montréal, Canada
- [Production Technician & Equipment Operator](https://feeny.ai/job/production-technician-equipment-operator-xona-space-systems-burlingame-4rjzb4svpptz) — Burlingame, CA
- [Sr. Software Engineer - Build & Release](https://feeny.ai/job/sr-software-engineer-build-release-xona-space-systems-burlingame-k6sjpw7g46s8) — Burlingame, CA
- [Production Line Lead](https://feeny.ai/job/production-line-lead-xona-space-systems-burlingame-11mcz2gv8ha1) — Burlingame, CA
- [PCB Layout Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/pcb-layout-engineer-xona-space-systems-burlingame-3m63sac71z2k) — Burlingame, CA
- [Thermal Engineer - Analysis & Test](https://feeny.ai/job/thermal-engineer-analysis-test-xona-space-systems-burlingame-s9ekzv92qp9t) — Burlingame, CA
- [RF Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/rf-engineer-xona-space-systems-burlingame-jykcvq5ps29x) — Burlingame, CA
- [Spécialiste GNSS / GNSS Specialist](https://feeny.ai/job/specialiste-gnss-gnss-specialist-xona-space-systems-montreal-6shb1yzhx57k) — Montréal, Canada
- [Production Leader / Senior Production Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/production-leader-senior-production-manager-xona-space-systems-burlingame-ad6r2ec9qdz0) — Burlingame, CA