---
title: 'Lead Recruiter at Xona Space Systems'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/lead-recruiter-xona-space-systems-burlingame-yrxs1gve7jzd'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-09'
---

# Lead Recruiter at Xona Space Systems

- **Company:** Xona Space Systems
- **Location:** Burlingame, CA
- **Compensation:** $165k–$195k
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-06-29
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-09
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/xona-space/5b8520f7-59fc-4c26-a18b-e44b2a0f0e00/application

> Lead Recruiter to own and elevate the recruiting function during a high-growth phase. This hybrid role combines individual contributor recruiting for critical roles with team leadership, coaching, and process ownership to ensure consistency and quality.

## 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.

We are hiring a Lead Recruiter to own and elevate our recruiting function during a high-growth phase. This is not a purely managerial role. Nor is it a pure IC role. It is a high-trust hybrid role where you are expected to both execute at a high level and raise the bar for the team around you.

You will directly own critical searches while also ensuring the broader recruiting function runs with consistency, accuracy, and strong judgment.

We are looking for someone we can trust to operate independently, both in their own work and in how they guide others.

## WHAT YOU'LL DO:

## INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTOR RECRUITING

- Own full-cycle recruiting for critical and/or high-priority roles
- Source, engage, and close top-tier talent in competitive markets
- Partner directly with executives and hiring managers on key searches
- Maintain strong candidate experience from outreach through close
- Personally carry a meaningful requisition load at all times

## TEAM LEADERSHIP

- Guide and support a team of recruiters
- Set expectations for quality, consistency, and speed
- Review recruiting output (candidate comms, process execution, pipelines)
- Coach recruiters through real-time feedback and pattern recognition
- Ensure the team does not rely on you for every decision

## RECRUITING SYSTEM OWNERSHIP

- Drive consistency in interview processes, evaluation standards, and execution quality
- Improve how the team operates, not just individual performance
- Ensure recruiting output is scalable as the company grows
- Define and enforce consistent recruiting processes across highly technical, detail-sensitive roles
- Ensure interview loops are structured, high-signal, and calibrated for technical depth and accuracy
- Maintain rigor in candidate communication and process execution given the complexity of roles being hired for

JUDGMENT, QUALITY, AND TRUST

- Act as a final layer of judgment for recruiting execution quality
- Ensure accuracy and professionalism in all candidate-facing communication
- Catch and prevent avoidable errors before they reach candidates or stakeholders
- Escalate selectively, but otherwise operate with strong independence

## REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

- 6–10+ years of full-cycle recruiting experience in high-growth, technical environments
- Strong IC performance track record
- Prior experience mentoring or leading recruiters (formal or informal)
- Strong judgment, attention to detail, and consistency under pressure
- Ability to manage workload across both IC execution and team oversight
- High ownership mindset and comfort operating without close supervision
- Strong communication and stakeholder management skills

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 Writer](https://feeny.ai/job/technical-writer-xona-space-systems-burlingame-f9aj5k2b8g88) — Burlingame, CA
- [Développeur(-euse) principal(e) de produits, Fullstack / Senior Product Developer](https://feeny.ai/job/developpeur-euse-principal-e-de-produits-fullstack-senior-product-developer-5ms7v4x25mjs) — Montréal, Canada
- [Software Development Engineer in Test](https://feeny.ai/job/software-development-engineer-in-test-xona-space-systems-burlingame-5s17a4hg3e6s) — Burlingame, CA
- [Director of Flight Software Engineering](https://feeny.ai/job/director-of-flight-software-engineering-xona-space-systems-burlingame-8893v6jvsyb9) — Burlingame, CA
- [Cloud Security Specialist – Platforms Engineering](https://feeny.ai/job/cloud-security-specialist-platforms-engineering-xona-space-systems-burlingame-2cw1wtrhjex7) — Burlingame, CA
- [Senior Cloud Architect – Platforms Engineering](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-cloud-architect-platforms-engineering-xona-space-systems-burlingame-582tm3wbrgvm) — Burlingame, CA
- [Spécialiste GNSS / GNSS Specialist](https://feeny.ai/job/specialiste-gnss-gnss-specialist-xona-space-systems-montreal-6shb1yzhx57k) — Montréal, Canada
- [Product Manager (Ecosystem) / Responsable de Produit (écosystème)](https://feeny.ai/job/product-manager-ecosystem-responsable-de-produit-ecosysteme-xona-space-systems-xa2agjby9kae) — Montréal, Canada
- [Sr. Manufacturing Engineer - PCBA Validation](https://feeny.ai/job/sr-manufacturing-engineer-pcba-validation-xona-space-systems-burlingame-6qxd9mezckkj) — Burlingame, CA
- [Quality Assurance Inspector](https://feeny.ai/job/quality-assurance-inspector-xona-space-systems-burlingame-haa1nr5wk5t1) — Burlingame, CA