Technical Program Manager, Software

Xona-Space-Systems; Burlingame (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Xona-Space-Systems, based near Burlingame, CA, is seeking a Software TPM to own the execution of our navigation software programs across Nav Service, Mission Ops and flight software. You’ll collaborate with the program lead and engineering teams to keep a fast-moving software organization on track and to build tooling, automation, and reporting.

You should be a software-first leader who can translate progress into plans, manage risk, and coordinate across software and hardware interfaces,

Qualifications

• 4–7 years of program or project management experience in complex software development, with meaningful exposure to aerospace, robotics, or hardware-adjacent fields.
• Direct experience program-managing software teams through active development and live/operational phases.
• Strong systems thinker who can track interdependencies across multiple software workstreams and interfaces with hardware.
• Comfortable operating in hardware environments and close to spacecraft, robotics, or complex hardware programs.
• Proficient enough as a programmer (Python, TypeScript/Node.js, or Go) to build lightweight internal tools.
• Self-directed and comfortable operating with limited oversight.
• Clear communicator who can summarize status for leadership.

Responsibilities

• Software Schedule Ownership: Own and maintain the software development schedule across Nav Service, Mission Ops, and flight software, tracking milestones and critical paths.
• Cross-Functional Coordination: Serve as program hub across Nav Service, Mission Ops, and flight software teams; align with Satellite TPM on interfaces.
• Release & Dependency Management: Support release management and dependency tracking across all software teams.
• System Automation & Tooling: Build tooling and integrations to reduce manual overhead and connect platforms into a single source of truth.
• Risk & Issue Resolution: Surface risks early and escalate with context and recommended paths forward.
• Program Reporting: Deliver regular software program status to leadership with a current picture of health and risks.
• Process Building: Develop lightweight program management processes for a small fast-moving team.
• Hardware Fluency & Flex Coverage: Maintain fluency in bus and payload development to coordinate with hardware teams.

Skills

Program management

Systems thinking

Hardware familiarity

Python

TypeScript/Node.js

Go

Communication

Self-direction

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.

Overview

As Software TPM, you'll own the execution of our software programs across navigation service, mission operations, and flight software -- working closely with our program lead and engineering teams to keep a fast-moving, highly interdependent software organization on track. Beyond running the program, you'll also build the connective tissue -- tooling, automation, and reporting.

We're looking for someone who is software-first -- you think in releases, dependencies, and code -- but who is genuinely comfortable stepping into hardware territory: sitting in on bus/payload reviews, understanding integration and test constraints, and covering for the Satellite TPM when programs need an extra set of hands. If you want real ownership, proximity to the code and the constellation, and a chance to build both the program and the systems that run it, this role is for you!

Responsibilities

• Software Schedule Ownership: Own and maintain the software development schedule across Nav Service, Mission Ops, and flight software (GNC, FSW, payload core), tracking progress against milestones, managing critical path, and keeping the program honest -- especially through the transition from Design/Build/Test into on-orbit operations
• Cross-Functional Coordination: Serve as the program hub across Nav Service, Mission Ops, and flight software teams -- translating technical progress into shared plans and clear accountability. Partner tightly with the Satellite TPM to keep software and hardware programs in sync at every shared interface (software readiness, bus interfaces, on-orbit test campaigns).
• Release & Dependency Management: Support release management and dependency tracking across all software teams, ensuring releases are coordinated, tested, and deployed without surprises to downstream teams or live operations
• System Automation & Tooling: Identify manual operational overhead across teams and build the lightweight tooling, bots, and integrations to eliminate it -- connecting platforms like GitHub/GitLab, Wrike/Linear, Teams, and monitoring tools into a single source of operational truth
• Risk & Issue Resolution: Surface risks early, maintain the risk register, and work directly with technical leads to resolve blockers before they hit the schedule. Escalate to program leadership with context and a recommended path forward.
• Program Reporting: Prepare and deliver regular software program status to leadership, maintaining a clear and accurate picture of schedule health, open risks, delivery predictability, and upcoming decisions -- automating this reporting wherever possible so status is always current, not just current when someone asks
• Process Building: Help develop lightweight, effective program management processes suited to a small team moving fast -- minimizing meeting bloat through automation and async workflows, with real input into how TPM operates at Xona
• Hardware Fluency & Flex Coverage: Maintain working fluency in bus and payload development -- enough to sit credibly in integration and test reviews, understand how hardware milestones affect your software schedule, and step in on hardware program coordination or backfill the Satellite TPM when the program needs it

Required Qualifications

• 4–7 years of program or project management experience in complex software development, with meaningful exposure to aerospace, robotics, or another hardware-adjacent technical field
• Direct experience program-managing software teams through both active development and live/operational phases -- you understand that priorities, cadence, and risk look different once something is running in production (or in orbit)
• Strong systems thinker who can track interdependencies across multiple software workstreams -- and their interfaces with hardware -- without losing the critical path
• Comfortable operating in hardware environments -- you don't need to have owned a bus or payload schedule, but you've been close to spacecraft, robotics, or other complex hardware programs that avionics, RF, or integration/test
• Proficient enough as a programmer (Python, TypeScript/Node.js, or Go) to build and deploy lightweight internal tools, bots, and automations yourself
• Self-directed and comfortable operating with limited oversight
• Clear communicator who can work credibly with engineers and summarize status cleanly for leadership

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with GNSS, PNT systems, or mission operations concepts (telemetry, commanding, ground segment software, on-orbit anomaly response)
• Experience building bots, custom integrations across developer toolchains (GitHub, Linear/Wrike, Teams, Datadog, AWS/GCP), or internal developer portals
• Hands-on experience with satellite bus subsystems or RF/navigation payloads, or having worked through a full satellite program cycle from PDR/CDR through integration, test, and launch/operations
• Hands-on knowledge of workflow automation platforms (Temporal, n8n, Airflow, or similar)
• Prior experience as a software engineer or DevOps engineer before moving into technical program management
• PMP, Agile, or other PM certifications (nice to have, not a substitute for real program 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.