Technical Program Manager, Satellite

Frontdoor Defense; Burlingame (CA); On-site; USD 132,000 - 148,000; Full time

Job summary

Xona, the navigational intelligence company, is seeking a Technical Program Manager, Satellite to drive the hardware program across bus and payload. You will partner with the program lead and engineering teams to keep a complex schedule on track and own key workstreams from design through integration.

You will coordinate across avionics, RF/payload, ground software and production, manage risks, deliver program status to leadership, and help optimize lightweight PM processes as the team scales.

Qualifications

• 3-5 years in technical program management or related roles supporting hardware or software development.
• Experience with hardware, embedded software, systems integration, testing, manufacturing, or external suppliers.
• Strong systems-thinking and ability to track interdependencies across subsystems while maintaining focus on the critical path.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain schedules, track risks and action items, and communicate program health clearly.
• Proactive and self-directed: identify gaps, keep work moving, and know when to escalate.
• Clear communicator who can summarize status for leadership.
• Comfortable in a fast-paced, evolving environment with lightweight processes and shifting priorities.

Responsibilities

• Maintain satellite development schedule across bus subsystems and payload milestones.
• Coordinate across avionics, RF/payload, ground software, and production teams.
• Track bus-vendor and payload-supplier deliverables and align external commitments with milestones.
• Maintain the risk register and issue tracker; escalate blockers before delays.
• Prepare and deliver regular satellite program-status updates to leadership.
• Organize and facilitate program working sessions and cross-functional meetings; capture decisions and actions.
• Help develop lightweight program-management processes for a small team moving quickly.

Skills

Technical program management

Cross-functional coordination

Scheduling

Risk management

Communication

Tools

Wrike

MS Project

Smartsheet

Jira

Job description

Technical Program Manager, Satellite

Manage and coordinate the satellite program schedule across bus and payload to hit milestones

Location: Burlingame, California

Compensation: $132,000 - 148,000 USD / year

About The Role

Technical Program Manager, Satellite

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.

As Technical Program Manager, Satellite, you'll support the execution of our satellite program across bus and payload, working closely with our program lead and engineering teams to keep a complex, fast-moving hardware program on track. You'll own key program management workstreams, drive coordination across teams, and build deep familiarity with the hardware and development lifecycle. You'll have meaningful ownership, proximity to the hardware, and the opportunity to contribute to how program management operates as Xona scales. If you want to work closely with engineering teams, help drive a complex hardware program forward, and contribute to something genuinely new in space, this role is for you!

Responsibilities

• Satellite Schedule Management: Maintain and drive the satellite development schedule across bus subsystems (power, GNC, structure) and payload (electrical, antennas, RF). Track progress against milestones, manage dependencies and critical-path items, and flag schedule risks early.
• Cross-Functional Coordination: Coordinate across avionics, RF/payload, ground software, and production teams -- translating technical progress into shared plans, clear accountability, and actionable next steps.
• Supplier & Partner Coordination: Work alongside the Supply Chain team and technical leaders to track bus-vendor and payload-supplier deliverables, follow up on open items, and help keep external commitments synchronized with internal milestones.
• Risk & Issue Resolution: Maintain the risk register and issue tracker, surface risks early, and work directly with technical leads to resolve blockers before they affect the schedule. Escalate material issues to the program lead with context, impact, and a recommended path forward.
• Program Reporting: Prepare and deliver regular satellite program-status updates to leadership, maintaining a clear and accurate picture of schedule health, milestone progress, open risks, action items, and upcoming decisions.
• Meeting & Action Management: Organize and facilitate program working sessions and cross-functional meetings; capture decisions and action items; and drive follow-through to closure.
• Process Improvement: Help develop and improve lightweight, effective program-management processes suited to a small team moving quickly. Contribute ideas and practical improvements as the company scales.

Required Qualifications

• 3-5 years of experience in technical program management, project management, systems engineering, engineering operations, or a related role supporting complex hardware and/or software development.
• Experience supporting a technical development program involving hardware, embedded software, systems integration, testing, manufacturing, and/or external suppliers.
• Strong systems-thinking and organizational skills, with the ability to track interdependencies across mechanical, electrical, software, and integration workstreams while maintaining focus on the critical path.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain schedules, track risks and action items, and communicate program health clearly.
• Proactive and self-directed: you identify gaps, keep work moving, and know when to seek input or escalation.
• Clear communicator who can work credibly with engineers and summarize status cleanly for leadership.
• Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, evolving environment with lightweight processes and shifting priorities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting a satellite, spacecraft, launch-vehicle, aerospace, defense, robotics, telecommunications, or similarly complex hardware program.
• Familiarity with satellite bus subsystems, RF communications, GNSS, PNT systems, navigation payloads, or mission operations.
• Exposure to the hardware development lifecycle, including design reviews such as PDR/CDR, integration, test, manufacturing, and launch or operational readiness.
• Experience coordinating deliverables with suppliers, vendors, or technical partners.
• Proficiency with scheduling tools such as Wrike, MS Project, Smartsheet, Jira, or similar.
• PMP, CAPM, Agile, or other PM certifications are nice to have, but not a substitute for practical program execution experience.

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.