---
title: 'Software Development Engineer in Test at Xona Space Systems'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/software-development-engineer-in-test-xona-space-systems-burlingame-5s17a4hg3e6s'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-09'
---

# Software Development Engineer in Test at Xona Space Systems

- **Company:** Xona Space Systems
- **Location:** Burlingame, CA
- **Compensation:** $120k–$140k
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-08-28
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-09
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/xona-space/f7dc81ae-acde-44bb-a70f-82470e5e313d

## 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.

## Overview

As a Software Development Engineer in Test (SDET), you will play a critical part in ensuring the quality and accuracy of our software systems. You will work side-by-side with software developers to write production-grade Python and C++ test code for core components in distributed cloud and edge systems.

This role is for an engineer who treats test software with the exact same rigor, design standards, and architectural hygiene as production application code. Your primary focus will be engineering robust test suites, building deterministic test harnesses, and ensuring our core logic is thoroughly validated across all of our systems.

Key Responsibilities:

- Develop Production-Grade Test Code: Architect, write, and maintain clean, performant, and scalable C++ unit/integration test suites (GoogleTest/Catch2) for complex numerical and navigation logic, alongside Python integration tests for end-to-end system workflows.
- Execute Integration & E2E Testing: Collaborate closely with infrastructure engineers to write integration and end-to-end tests that interact directly with live or staged AWS resources and Kubernetes container environments.
- Build Test Harnesses & Mocks: Design deterministic test harnesses, mock frameworks (e.g., catch2, Python pytest), and simulation utilities to test hard-to-reach edge cases without relying on live production environments.
- Validate C++/Python Interop: Test and validate C++/Python binding layers to ensure seamless, error-free data transfer between core C++ algorithms and higher-level Python systems.
- Integrate with Build & CI Tools: Write and maintain Bazel test targets and interface with GitLab CI/CD pipelines to ensure automated test suites execute cleanly and deterministically on every commit.
- Code Coverage & Quality Enforcement: Measure, track, and analyze code coverage metrics (gcov/lcov, Bazel coverage) to surface untested logic paths and establish strict quality gates.
- Failure Triage & Deep-Dive Debugging: Lead root-cause analysis on complex, non-deterministic test failures or regressions, collaborating directly with core developers to fix underlying software bugs.

Required Qualifications

- Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.
- 3+ years of professional experience as an SDET, QA Engineer or Software Engineer with a primary focus on automated test development.
- Strong C++ Proficiency: Hands-on experience writing unit/integration tests, mocking components (e.g., gMock), and working with existing C++ codebases handling complex algorithmic, spatial, or numerical logic.
- Strong Python Proficiency: Experience building integration test suites and using test frameworks like Pytest within collaborative, Git-based workflows.
- CI Integration: Practical experience with CI/CD pipeline configuration and management.
- Distributed Systems Testing: Experience testing multi-service, cloud, or hybrid distributed environments.
- Code Coverage & Tooling: Practical experience tracking and enforcing code coverage metrics (gcov/lcov, Bazel coverage tools).
- Software Hygiene: Proven ability to write clean, maintainable, modular test code following standard production software practices.

Nice to Haves:

- Prior experience in Aerospace, Defense, GNSS/PNT, or High-Reliability software environments.
- Experience testing low-level interop or binding layers (e.g., nanobind, pybind11, ctypes, or gRPC/Protobuf interfaces).
- Experience working with containerized testing environments (Docker / Kubernetes).
- Experience with deterministic simulation, log playback, or hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing approaches.
- Experience with GitLab CI/CD pipeline configuration.
- Experience with the Bazel build system or its relatives (Buck2, Pants).

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
- [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
- [Sr. Mechanical Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/sr-mechanical-engineer-xona-space-systems-burlingame-pxs5bdaytyzt) — Burlingame, CA