Head of Flight Software for Satellite Constellations

Xona Space; Burlingame (CA); On-site; USD 240,000 - 320,000; Full time

Job summary

Xona Space is seeking a Director of Flight Software Engineering to own the onboard software architecture for the Xona satellite bus and Pulsar constellation. You will lead embedded flight software development, system verification, and cross-functional processes enabling reliable software across hundreds of satellites.

You will shape the software strategy, build a high-performing team, and drive CI/CD, testing, and deployment practices while partnering with leadership on long-term roadmap and

Qualifications

• 10+ years in professional software engineering, with embedded or high-reliability systems.
• 3+ years leading software engineers or tech leads.
• Experience delivering software for complex aerospace or related domains.
• Hands-on with CI/CD, configuration management, and automated testing.

Responsibilities

• Own architecture and delivery of onboard software for the satellite bus and Pulsar constellation.
• Lead flight software development and verification & validation.
• Build a high-performing organization with ownership culture and cross-functional collaboration.
• Collaborate with systems, avionics, payload, GNC, and ground segment teams.
• Drive software development practices to scale with constellation growth and OTA updates.

Skills

Embedded systems

Real-time software

Software architecture

CI/CD

Leadership

C/C++

HIL testing

RTOS

Education

Bachelor’s degree in CS/CE/EE or related field

Tools

cFS

Flight software framework (F')

Job description

Xona Space is seeking a Director of Flight Software Engineering to own the onboard software architecture for the Xona satellite bus and Pulsar constellation. You will lead embedded flight software development, system verification, and cross-functional processes enabling reliable software across hundreds of satellites.

You will shape the software strategy, build a high-performing team, and drive CI/CD, testing, and deployment practices while partnering with leadership on long-term roadmap and