GNC Orbit Controls Engineer

Xona Space Systems; Burlingame (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Xona Space Systems in Burlingame, California is seeking a GNC Orbit Controls Engineer to design and implement onboard software for orbit determination, guidance, and maneuver execution. You will develop controllers for managing altitude and station-keeping while ensuring safe and efficient implementation.

The ideal candidate must have a strong background in C++ and MATLAB, with familiarity in orbital mechanics and experience supporting real maneuvers. This role requires U.S. citizenship or residency due to government compliance.

Qualifications

• Familiar with onboard propagators with perturbation models and integrators on flight targets.
• Experience in GNC software using C++ and MATLAB for analysis, modeling, and test-vector generation.
• Supported real maneuvers and reconciled plan versus truth with post-burn estimation.
• Comfortable at the ADCS and propulsion interface for burn pointing and momentum management.

Responsibilities

• Develop open-loop and closed-loop controllers for altitude management and station-keeping.
• Implement and maintain onboard orbit propagators and validate integrators.
• Built orbit determination pipelines using EKF with GNSS.
• Design burns and optimize delta V and timelines under constraints.

Skills

Orbital mechanics and simulation

GNC software (C++, MATLAB)

Real maneuvers support

ADCS and propulsion interface

Education

B.S. or M.S. in Aerospace Engineering, Control Systems, Applied Physics, or a related field

Tools

MATLAB

C++

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're looking for a GNC Orbit Controls Engineer to design and implement the algorithms and onboard software that handle orbit determination, guidance, maneuver execution, and post-maneuver analysis to deliver safe, efficient, and highly automated station-keeping and disposal. We’re building the software that keeps our spacecraft exactly where they need to be.

What You’ll Do

• Develop open-loop and closed-loop controllers for altitude management, station-keeping, and end-of-life disposal
• Implement and maintain onboard orbit propagators, select and validate integrators, and ensure numerical consistency with ground truth
• Build orbit determination pipelines using EKF with GNSS
• Design burns and long-arc trajectories, and optimize delta V and timelines under comm visibility, power and thermal, and operations constraints
• Coordinate burn pointing and wheel momentum strategy with ADCS
• Maintain numerically consistent MATLAB and C++ simulators, create Monte Carlo campaigns, run SIL and HIL tests, and perform post-maneuver reconstruction

Required Qualifications

• You are familiar with orbital mechanics and simulation and have had exposure with onboard propagators with perturbation models and integrators on flight targets
• You have GNC software experience in C++ and MATLAB for analysis, modeling, and test-vector generation
• You have supported real maneuvers and can reconcile plan versus truth with post-burn estimation
• You are comfortable at the ADCS and propulsion interface for burn pointing and momentum management

Desired Qualifications

• B.S. or M.S. in Aerospace Engineering, Control Systems, Applied Physics, or a related field
• Familiar with electric propulsion including thrust modeling and calibration, long-burn guidance, duty-cycle planning, and thermal constraints
• Experience with orbit propagation algorithms
• Trajectory design and optimization expertise
• Familiarity with CCSDS ephemeris and attitude formats

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.