Senior Mechanical Engineer (Aerospace)

Location: On-site in Burlingame, California, United States

Salary: $185,000–$218,000 per year plus equity

Company

Xona develops real-time, centimeter-level navigation infrastructure using the Pulsar satellite system in low Earth orbit.

What you will do

• Lead mechanical architecture and design ownership for satellite propulsion hardware.
• Drive full-system CAD development and design for manufacturability across precision components and assemblies.
• Select materials and define processing, heat-treatment, inspection, acceptance, and assembly standards for demanding environments.
• Perform structural and thermal analysis to validate hardware margins for launch and operational conditions.
• Build, assemble, iterate, and troubleshoot prototype, engineering-model, and flight hardware in the laboratory.
• Develop and execute qualification and environmental test plans, including integration into thermal vacuum facilities.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in mechanical engineering or a related field.
• Experience leading mechanical hardware design from concept through prototyping and production.
• Strong design-for-manufacturability experience with machinists, machine shops, and specialty vendors.
• Expert knowledge of GD&T and tolerance analysis, including ASME Y14.5.
• Materials expertise covering refractory metals, ceramics, processing, and heat treatment.
• Proficiency with mechanical CAD, such as SolidWorks, and finite element modeling for structural and thermal analysis.

Nice to have

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

Culture & Benefits

• Full-time, high-ownership, hands-on engineering role.
• Direct collaboration with satellite bus, electrical, manufacturing, and supplier teams.
• Equity offered in addition to salary.
• U.S. export-control eligibility is required: applicants must be U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, or other protected individuals under 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3).
• Inclusive workplace committed to equal employment opportunity.