Space Systems Software Engineer — Payload & Integration

Xona Space; Burlingame (CA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Xona Space Systems is seeking a Software Engineer for the Payload team to validate and integrate software powering our satellite platform. You will work across software, hardware, and integration boundaries, developing interfaces and performing end-to-end testing in simulated and hardware environments.

Responsibilities include building tooling with Python and Bash, collaborating with I&T, and documenting system architecture and workflows.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical field with 4+ years of relevant experience, or 6+ years of equivalent industry experience.
• Strong proficiency in C++ and experience developing software in Linux-based environments.
• Experience with build systems and development tooling including CMake, Bash, and Python.
• Experience deploying and validating software across multiple hardware or software targets.
• Experience with software/hardware integration testing and debugging.
• Strong understanding of software testing methodologies and system validation practices.
• Excellent debugging, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong communication and cross-functional collaboration abilities.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain software infrastructure supporting payload and spacecraft system integration.
• Design, implement, and validate communication interfaces between payload systems, embedded software, and spacecraft hardware.
• Execute full-system software and hardware integration testing across simulated and hardware-integrated environments.
• Build tooling and automation frameworks using Python and Bash to improve testing reliability and operational efficiency.
• Support deployment and validation workflows across multiple software and hardware targets.
• Collaborate closely with software, hardware, and Integration & Test (I&T) teams to diagnose and resolve complex system-level issues.
• Develop and maintain technical documentation for operational workflows, interface behavior, and system architecture.
• Improve software reliability, observability, and test coverage across mission-critical systems.

Skills

C++ programming

Linux development

Debugging

System validation

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related field

Tools

CMake

Bash

Python

GitLab CI/CD

QEMU

Yocto

Job description

Xona Space Systems is seeking a Software Engineer for the Payload team to validate and integrate software powering our satellite platform. You will work across software, hardware, and integration boundaries, developing interfaces and performing end-to-end testing in simulated and hardware environments.

Responsibilities include building tooling with Python and Bash, collaborating with I&T, and documenting system architecture and workflows.