Testbed Software Engineer

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.

As a Testbed Software Engineer, you will architect and build our spacecraft Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) testbed software from scratch, integrating flight hardware (or engineering models) with real-time simulation and automated validation tooling. This means integrating flight hardware with real-time simulation and automated validation to test flight software, avionics interfaces, fault management, and operational workflows end-to-end before launch.

What You'll Own

• Design the HIL testbed architecture: scalable patterns, reproducible baselines, maintainable infrastructure

• Integrate flight hardware + simulation + command/telemetry + automated tests into deterministic workflows

• Build interface layers for avionics and instrumentation (RS-422/485, Ethernet, I2C/SPI, GPIO, DAQ, power systems)

• Implement the FSW simulation layer (sensor/actuator emulation, peripheral models, timing models, interface shims)

• Design fault injection and scenario orchestration for FDIR, safe-mode, and recovery validation

• Develop telemetry capture, decode, time alignment, replay, and automated reporting tools

• Characterize system timing (latency, jitter, scheduling, resource usage) and define acceptance criteria

• Automate regression testing and integrate HIL into CI/CD

What We're Looking For

Required

• Experience building or owning production-quality HIL, SIL, or integrated test environments

• Experience connecting real hardware to simulation (robotics, autonomy, automotive HIL, avionics, or embedded systems)

• Hands-on expertise with embedded buses and lab instrumentation (RS-422/485, Ethernet, I2C/SPI, GPIO, DAQ)

• Strong grasp of real-time systems: timing, latency, scheduling, determinism, resource constraints

• Track record debugging across hardware, firmware, and software boundaries

• Strong documentation and cross-functional communication skills

Nice to Have

• Mission-critical or safety-critical systems experience

• Hardware test environments integrated into CI/CD

• Operations rehearsals, telemetry analysis, or anomaly investigations

• Python, C/C++, or Rust development experience

• Knowledge of aerospace communication protocols (CAN, Ethernet, RS-422/485)

• Space experience is not required. We welcome robotics, autonomy, automotive HIL, aerospace, defense, and other mission/safety-critical systems backgrounds. If you don't meet every requirement but are excited about the role, apply anyway.

Compensation: Competitive salary commensurate with experience, plus equity and comprehensive benefits including health insurance, 401(k), and generous time off.

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.