Sr. Manufacturing Engineer - Mechanical Assembly & Validation

Xona; Burlingame (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Xona is seeking a Senior Manufacturing Engineer to own end-to-end build areas for high‑reliability mechanical assemblies in our satellite program. You’ll define processes, tooling, inspection strategies, and lead a team to ensure builds meet stringent specs from validation through release to integration.

You will work across GNC component builds, solar array assembly, and antenna assembly, mentoring technicians, enabling design-for-manufacturability, and advancing production readiness for space

Qualifications

• End-to-end ownership of a mechanical assembly process.
• Ability to interpret drawings, GD&T, and specs.
• Hands-on metrology with calipers, micrometers, torque tools.
• Experience with nonconformance management and CAPA.

Responsibilities

• Own the manufacturing and assembly process for assigned build areas with tooling and continuous improvement.
• Define validation and verification strategy from drawings to inspection checkpoints.
• Plan, specify, and qualify fixtures and tooling for production.
• Own nonconformance management, 8D, and MRB disposition.
• Build digital work instructions and travelers with checkpoints and data capture.
• Support environmental and production acceptance testing for hardware.
• Mentor engineers and technicians as the team scales.

Skills

End-to-end ownership

GD&T interpretation

Mechanical metrology

CAPA / 8D

Root-cause analysis

Education

B.S. in Manufacturing/Mechanical/Industrial Eng

Tools

Gage R&R

Fixtures & tooling design

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's Manufacturing team owns the assembly, integration, and test of every mechanical subsystem that goes into our satellites. We're looking for a Senior Manufacturing Engineer to take ownership of one or more of these build areas — which may include GNC component validation, solar array assembly, or antenna build, among others as the factory scales and define how they get built, verified, and released to integration.

You'll bring hands‑on experience developing manufacturing processes for complex, high‑reliability mechanical or electro‑mechanical hardware, and be comfortable owning a build area end to end: process, tooling, inspection strategy, and the people who run it day to day. This is a floor‑facing role with real technical ownership over some of the most sensitive builds in the vehicle.

What You’ll Do

• Own the manufacturing and assembly process for your assigned build area(s), covering sequence, standard work, tooling, and continuous improvement — potential areas include GNC component build and validation, solar array assembly (stringing, lamination, panel/wing integration), and antenna assembly (mechanical alignment and verification), among others
• Define validation and verification strategy for your build areas, translating engineering drawings, GD&T, and specifications into practical inspection checkpoints and acceptance criteria tied to critical characteristics
• Plan, specify, and qualify fixtures and tooling: holding, transport, rotary, and point‑of‑use equipment — and the test/inspection equipment behind them
• Own nonconformance management, root‑cause corrective action (8D), and MRB disposition for your build areas
• Build and maintain digital work instructions and travelers for your build areas; embedding inspection checkpoints, buy‑offs, and data capture directly into the work order flow
• Build measurement confidence through gage selection, method validation, and Gage R&R
• Support environmental and production acceptance testing (vibration, shock, thermal/TVAC) for hardware in your build areas as needed
• Support supplier evaluation, audits, and monitoring for mechanical components and subsystems feeding your builds
• Be a strong voice for DFX/producibility in design reviews for your build areas, partnering with design engineering from early stage gates through production
• Mentor engineers and technicians on assembly and inspection practices as the team scales

What You Bring

• B.S. in Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or equivalent practical experience
• 7+ years in manufacturing engineering for complex mechanical or electro‑mechanical assemblies (5+ with an advanced degree)
• Demonstrated end‑to‑end ownership of a mechanical assembly process, not just support of one
• Strong ability to interpret engineering drawings, GD&T, and specifications
• Hands‑on experience with mechanical metrology: calipers, micrometers, torque tools, optical systems
• Experience with nonconformance management, root‑cause analysis, and CAPA

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct experience building or validating GNC hardware, solar arrays, or antenna/RF assemblies for spacecraft or other high‑reliability platforms
• Experience with space‑grade materials and process standards such as NASA‑STD‑8739.1, AS9100, and AS9102 first article inspection
• Experience with environmental/production acceptance testing — vibration, shock, thermal, or TVAC
• Experience taking a process from green field/NPI through production ramp
• Familiarity with MES/ERP systems and configuration controlled manufacturing records

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.