Sr. Mechanical Engineer Hardware

Front Door Defense; Burlingame (CA); On-site; USD 185,000 - 218,000; Full time

Job summary

Xona seeks a Sr. Mechanical Engineer to lead propulsion hardware design from concept through prototype to flight production at our Burlingame facility for spaceflight.

You will own the mechanical architecture, drive CAD, FEA, and test plans, and collaborate with aerospace teams to deploy reliable hardware. The role demands hands-on prototyping, DFM execution with machinists and vendors, and deep material knowledge for high-temperature, vacuum environments.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in mechanical engineering.
• Experience leading mechanical hardware design from concept through prototype into production.
• Strong Design for Manufacturability and working with machinists and vendors.
• Expert-level GD&T and tolerance analysis (ASME Y14.5).
• Deep materials knowledge including refractory metals and ceramics.
• Proficiency with CAD (SolidWorks) and finite element modelling for structural and thermal analysis.
• Prototyping-first mindset and hands-on hardware experience.
• Strong problem-solving ability and attention to detail.
• Ability to work collaboratively within multidisciplinary engineering teams.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the lead designer for the propulsion system and supporting hardware.
• Drive Design for Manufacturability (DFM) across several high-precision mechanical components and assemblies working directly with machine shops and specialty vendors.
• Select materials for high-temperature, high-vacuum, and other demanding environments and define standards and material treatments.
• Perform structural and thermal analysis to evaluate margins and ensure survival under launch and operational environments.
• Build, assemble, and iterate on prototype hardware, and support integration into TVAC facilities.
• Develop and execute test plans for prototypes, engineering models, and flight hardware, and troubleshoot mechanical assemblies in the lab.
• Define inspection, acceptance, and assembly procedures that carry the design from prototype into sustained production.
• Support supplier evaluation and selection for mechanical and thermal components.

Skills

GD&T

DFM

SolidWorks

FEM Analysis

Prototyping

Materials Knowledge

Leadership

Vendor Coordination

Structural Analysis

Education

BSc/MSc Mechanical Engineering

Tools

FEA Software

Job description

Sr. Mechanical Engineer

Lead propulsion hardware design from concept through prototype to production in Burlingame facility for spaceflight

Location: Burlingame, California

Compensation: $185,000 - 218,000 USD / year

About The Role

Sr. Mechanical Engineer

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 are seeking a Sr. Mechanical Engineer to join Xona\'s propulsion team in Burlingame. In this role, you will serve as the primary mechanical architect and design owner for advanced satellite propulsion hardware. You will drive core mechanical and thermal design from early architecture concepts through prototype stage iteration, qualification testing, and transition to high-rate flight production.

This is a high ownership, hands-on role where you will drive full-system CAD development, detailed FEA, thermal-structural joint optimization, and rapid laboratory test execution. You will work directly with others across the satellite bus, electrical, and manufacturing teams to deploy ultra-reliable hardware into orbit.

What You\'ll Do

• Serve as the lead designer for the propulsion system and supporting hardware.
• Drive Design for Manufacturability (DFM) across several high-precision mechanical components and assemblies working directly with machine shops and specialty vendors.
• Select materials for high-temperature, high-vacuum, and other demanding environments and define standards and material treatments.
• Perform structural and thermal analysis to evaluate margins and ensure survival under launch and operational environments.
• Build, assemble, and iterate on prototype hardware, and support integration into TVAC facilities.
• Develop and execute test plans for prototypes, engineering models, and flight hardware, and troubleshoot mechanical assemblies in the lab.
• Define inspection, acceptance, and assembly procedures that carry the design from prototype into sustained production.
• Support supplier evaluation and selection for mechanical and thermal components.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor\'s or Master\'s degree in mechanical engineering or a related field.
• Experience leading mechanical hardware design and development from concept through prototype and into production.
• Strong Design for Manufacturability and direct experience working with machinists and vendors.
• Expert-level GD&T and tolerance analysis (ASME Y14.5).
• Deep materials knowledge, including refractory metals and ceramics, and the ability to specify processing and heat treatment.
• Proficiency with mechanical CAD (such as SolidWorks) and finite element modelling for structural and thermal analysis.
• A prototyping-first mindset and comfort building and testing your own hardware.
• Strong problem-solving ability and attention to detail.
• Ability to work collaboratively within multidisciplinary engineering teams.

Desired Qualifications

• Experience with spaceflight or aerospace hardware and associated qualification workflows.
• Background in aerospace, plasma devices, or vacuum systems.
• Experience supporting hardware integration, assembly, or environmental testing.

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.