Lead Production Technician

Socket.dev; Burlingame (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Xona is seeking a Lead Production Technician to support the build, test, and integration of the Xona spacecraft. This is a hands-on leadership role on the production floor, working with production, manufacturing, quality, supply chain and engineering in our new satellite production facility.

You will lead stand-ups, ensure safety, maintain cleanroom-like, ESD-safe practices, and guide assembly of electrical harnesses, mechanical structures, and testing activities.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of hands-on mechanical or electrical assembly experience.
• 5+ years in a lead role coordinating production technicians.
• Experience reading schematics, drawings and assembly instructions with GD&T understanding.
• Bonus: IPC-A-610 and/or J-STD-001; harnessing IPC/WHMA-A-620 certifications.

Responsibilities

• Be the go-to production team lead, coordinating activities to meet schedule and quality.
• Adhere to safety protocols and maintain a cleanroom-like, ESD-safe environment.
• Assemble and integrate satellite components and subsystems per work instructions.
• Support cable routing, thermal insulation, and spacecraft-level assembly tasks.
• Measure, record, test and document data during assembly.
• Perform PCB handling and IPC workmanship testing; conduct functional tests.
• Maintain equipment, QA benches, fixtures, and procedures.
• Assist in refining assembly instructions to improve quality and efficiency.

Skills

Mechanical assembly

Electrical assembly

Lead role

Schematic interpretation

GD&T understanding

Safety protocols

ESD practices

Team training

Documentation and testing

Hand tools & test equipment

Tools

Hand tools

Torque tools

PCB test equipment

Multimeters / Oscilloscopes

DC power supplies

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.

Xona is looking for a Lead Production Technician to support the build, test, and integration of the Xona spacecraft. This is a working, hands‑on lead role for an experienced complex assembly and test technician. This production floor leader would help train, support, steer and work alongside other capable production technicians. They will work directly with the production, manufacturing, quality, supply chain and engineering teams in the newly built satellite production facility.

This is a high visibility, high impact role in the production team and will have a critical impact on the company as it progresses into the scale‑up of repeatable, high quality, production spacecraft.

What You’ll Do:

• Be the go‑to production team lead technician, that will coordinate activities to meet schedule, meet quality standards, cross train team members, run production stand‑ups and set an overall high standard for production activities through leading by example.

• Adhere to all safety protocols and help maintain a cleanroom‑like environment and proper ESD‑safe practices during satellite builds

• Assemble and integrate satellite components and subsystems, including electrical harnesses and mechanical structures, following digital work instructions and procedures.

• Support cable routing, thermal insulation application, and other spacecraft‑level assembly tasks, such as soldering, bonding, torque‑controlled fastener installation, testing, anomaly detection and repair/resolution

• Measure, record, test and document specific data as part of the complex assembly process

• Perform PCB handling, incoming and in‑process inspection to IPC‑A‑610 workmanship criteria, and functional/continuity testing

• Maintain processes and systems for production equipment, 5S/FOD protocols, QA test benches, holding fixtures and personnel driven procedures.

• Assist with optimizing, clarifying and evolving the assembly and integration process instructions to support overall quality and build efficiency.

What You Bring:

• 10+ years of hands‑on experience with mechanical or electrical assembly, preferably in space, aerospace, defense, robotics, automotive, or electronics industries

• 5+ years in a lead role with demonstrated ability to build, coach, coordinate and communicate with a highly capable team of production technicians.

• High level of teamwork, clear communication and collaboration. Able to work with diverse, talented and multi‑disciplinary teams across the company at all levels

• Experience reading and interpreting schematics, mechanical drawings, and assembly instructions with basic GD&T understanding

• Proficiency with hand tools, torque tools, and PCB test/inspection equipment; multimeters, ohmmeters, DC power supplies, oscilloscopes, and other lab test equipment

• Experience operating and running production equipment and machines; environmental chambers, mechanical deployment fixtures, complex lifting equipment, vibration/shock/thermal cycling testing, 3D printers, chamber testing, etc.

• Comfort working with sensitive electronics and small mechanical parts

• Organized, detail‑oriented, and comfortable working in a fast‑paced environment

• Bonus: Current or past certification in IPC‑A‑610 and/or J‑STD‑001; IPC/WHMA‑A‑620 (harnessing)

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.