Xona · 18 hours ago
Sr. Hardware-in-the-Loop Engineer
Burlingame, CA
Full-time
Onsite
Senior Level
$120K/yr - $180K/yr
7+ years expXona is a navigational intelligence company focused on delivering precise positioning solutions through advanced satellite infrastructure. The Senior Hardware-in-the-Loop Engineer will be responsible for designing, building, and operating spacecraft testbeds, ensuring the integration and validation of flight software and hardware systems before launch.
AerospaceGPSInformation ServicesNavigationSatellite CommunicationSoftware
No H1B
U.S. Citizen Only
Responsibilities
Own the HIL software stack end-to-end, including architecture, code quality, documentation, and long-term maintainability
Develop the core HIL software components that orchestrate hardware, simulation, command/telemetry, and test execution—carrying features from concept through validated, reusable capability
Build and maintain hardware abstraction layers and interface adapters for avionics buses and lab instrumentation (e.g., RS-422/485, Ethernet, I2C/SPI, GPIO, DAQ, power systems)
Implement fault-injection services in software (bus faults, packet corruption, timing faults, power cycling hooks, sensor/actuator emulation errors) to systematically validate FDIR and operational mitigations
Create and maintain telemetry/command tooling for the HIL environment (collection, decoding, time correlation, replay, and analysis), enabling rapid triage and regression insight
Architect and assemble HIL environments combining flight computers, avionics I/O, sensors/actuators (or emulators), and real-time simulation
Own the lab bring-up workflow: wiring, timing/latency characterization, configuration baselines, and repeatable testbed provisioning
Plan and execute comprehensive hardware/software integration campaigns, including nominal mission threads, off-nominal scenarios, and “day-in-the-life” sequences
Define measurable acceptance criteria for integrated behaviors (timing budgets, throughput, fault response, recovery time objectives)
Define and validate system interfaces across embedded buses and protocols; verify ICD compliance through test evidence
Measure and troubleshoot real-time system behavior (scheduler jitter, end-to-end latency, throughput, CPU/memory pressure under load)
Support performance benchmarking and stress testing to expose “edge-of-envelope” behaviors before flight
Build automation for test orchestration, data capture, and reporting—prioritizing repeatability and high signal-to-noise
Integrate HIL regression into CI/CD where feasible (gated runs, nightly suites, artifact retention, log/telemetry indexing)
Improve testbed reliability via configuration management, scripted provisioning, and robust runbooks
Partner with flight software, hardware engineering, GNC, and operations to turn requirements into verifiable test objectives and executable procedures
Drive alignment on fault handling, safe-mode behaviors, and on-orbit mitigation workflows—then validate them in HIL
Lead investigations into intermittent integration failures and close the loop with corrective actions across software, hardware, and process
Produce technical artifacts: HIL architecture docs, lab procedures, interface validation checklists, test plans, and runbooks
Coach engineers through design reviews and code walks; promote disciplined debugging, coding standards, and automation-first testing
Want technical ownership of both the physical HIL environment and the software platform that makes it scalable and credible
Enjoy hands-on integration and can translate ambiguous system behavior into crisp hypotheses, instrumentation, and repeatable tests
Are meticulous about timing, interfaces, and fault behavior—and can build tooling that makes those characteristics visible
Communicate clearly across teams and can drive interface clarity and operational readiness through test evidence
Qualification
Required
Experience: 7+ years in system integration, HIL/SIL environments, or embedded hardware/software validation, with demonstrated ownership of testbed capabilities
HIL Software: Proven ability to design and maintain a production-quality HIL software stack (test orchestration, interface layers, telemetry tooling, fault injection, reporting)
Integration & Testing: Track record executing full-system validation campaigns, including fault injection and performance characterization
Protocols & Interfaces: Strong practical expertise with embedded buses and lab instrumentation strategies (RS-422/485, Ethernet, I2C/SPI, etc.)
Real-Time Systems: Solid understanding of timing, scheduling, latency, and resource constraints in integrated systems
Communication: Strong written documentation and cross-team coordination skills
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
Preferred
Experience supporting on-orbit operations, telemetry analysis, mission rehearsals, or anomaly investigations using integrated testbeds
Background in aerospace or other safety-/mission-critical environments with strong validation culture
Familiarity with flight software frameworks (cFS, F', TASTE, etc.) and real-time concepts
Company
Xona
Xona is launching a LEO satellite network bringing real-time, centimeter-level certainty to any device, anywhere on Earth..
51-200 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Growth StageTotal Funding
$151.42MKey Investors
Craft VenturesSpaceWERXFirst Spark Ventures
2025-06-26Series B· $92M
2025-06-26Grant· $20M
2024-05-08Series A· $19M
Leadership Team
Brian Manning
Co-Founder & CEO
Bryan Chan
Co-Founder, VP Corporate Strategy
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