---
title: 'Senior Mixed Signals Engineer at Xona Space Systems'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-mixed-signals-engineer-xona-space-systems-burlingame-vk1bdxq10hav'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-11-04'
---

# Senior Mixed Signals Engineer at Xona Space Systems

- **Company:** Xona Space Systems
- **Location:** Burlingame, CA
- **Compensation:** $200k–$220k
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-10-18
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-11-04
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/xona-space/466c8d21-f526-436f-9589-05e275da691d

## 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.

## About Xona

GNSS (GPS) creates upwards of $500B in economic value in the US every year, supporting everything from consumer applications to transportation systems to time sync for critical infrastructure. As these industries progress towards autonomy, the performance and security demands of their navigation systems are increasing beyond what GNSS can support, leaving a need for a cost-effective global solution. Using lessons we've learned at places like SpaceX and Blue Origin, Xona is constructing a modern satellite network at the rapid pace of the new space industry, leveraging the recent wave of technology and regulatory advancements. Building on our patent-pending small satellite architecture, we are developing a robust and accurate service that is an independent alternative to GNSS rather than a correction, solving the longstanding challenge of obtaining a reliable, high-accuracy solution from the very fragile GNSS signals. Our satellite system will provide the first-ever high-accuracy global navigation and timing services with the security and resilience modern applications need to operate safely at scale.

## About the Role

We are seeking a Senior Mixed-Signal Engineer to lead the design and implementation of advanced electronics for satellite and space-based systems. The primary responsibility of this role will be the placement, layout, and high-speed routing of RFSoC-based boards, integrating RF, analog, digital, clocking, power, and high-speed data interfaces into a robust, space-qualified hardware platform. The successful candidate will work closely with RF, electrical, FPGA, and mechanical teams to take RFSoC hardware from concept through design, prototyping, test, and later production. They will ensure the RFSoC layout meets performance, manufacturability, thermal, mechanical, reliability, and space-environment requirements. Required Qualifications

- Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, or a related discipline.
- 8+ years of experience in mixed-signal, RF, high-speed digital, or advanced PCB design.
- Understanding of electromagnetic principles behind radio frequency communications.
- Ability to interpret PCBA schematics and layout drawings. Familiarity with PCB ECAD tools such as Altium for both schematic and layout.
- Demonstrated experience laying out complex RFSoC, FPGA, ADC/DAC, RF, or high-speed mixed-signal boards.
- Strong understanding of mixed-signal PCB design, including:
- Controlled impedance
- Differential signaling
- High-speed serial interfaces
- Clock and synchronization design
- Power distribution
- Grounding and shielding
- RF transmission lines
- Signal and power integrity
- Hands-on experience using electrical/RF test equipment, including multimeters, oscilloscopes, signal generators, and spectrum analyzers.
- Knowledge of typical performance metrics for RF communications systems.
- Experience using or interpreting results from tools for signal-integrity, power-integrity, electromagnetic, or thermal analysis.
- Experience with RFSoC or comparable devices from AMD/Xilinx, including device pin planning, power requirements, clocking, transceiver interfaces, and high-speed data-converter connectivity.
- Familiarity with interfaces such as JESD204, DDR, PCIe, Ethernet, Aurora, high-speed ADC/DAC interfaces, and RF clocking systems.
- Willing and able to travel to support off-site testing events as needed.
- Self-starter attitude and proactive in seeing projects from design through implementation.
- Excellent problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced, cross-team collaborative environment.
- Effective communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work closely with multidisciplinary teams and external partners to achieve project goals.
- Strong understanding of manufacturing constraints, PCB fabrication, assembly, inspection, and design-for-manufacturing.

## Preferred Qualifications

- Experience designing electronics for satellites, spacecraft, launch vehicles, avionics, or other mission-critical systems.
- Experience with space-qualified or radiation-tolerant components and PCB materials.
- Familiarity with ECSS, NASA, MIL-STD, IPC, or other relevant aerospace and electronics standards.
- Experience with thermal-vacuum, vibration, shock, radiation, EMC/EMI, and environmental qualification testing.
- Experience designing RF payload, software-defined radio, communications, radar, remote-sensing, or satellite-navigation hardware.
- Knowledge of RFSoC development workflows, including Vivado, PetaLinux, Vitis, RF Data Converter tools, RFDC configuration, and FPGA/embedded integration.
- Experience with RF front-end design, antenna interfaces, frequency conversion, filtering, amplification, and low-noise signal chains.
- Familiarity with radiation analysis, derating, reliability prediction, failure-mode analysis, and fault-tolerant design.
- Experience with Python, MATLAB, or similar tools for design automation, analysis, and test.
- Experience leading technical reviews.

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)

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