Navigation Algorithms Engineer

Xona Space Systems • Burlingame, CA

4d • $120,000 - $140,000

About The Position

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're looking for a Navigation Algorithms Engineer to join our Ground Software team. This is a hands-on algorithm role: you'll build tools that keep an eye on constellation health and work on the core estimation pipelines, including Precise Point Positioning (PPP), that make centimeter-level accuracy possible. You'll work alongside senior navigation engineers who will mentor you as you grow from prototype-level contributions toward owning pieces of the pipeline outright. This role is a great fit for someone with a solid foundation in statistics and estimation who wants to apply it to real satellite navigation systems.

Requirements

• MS or PhD in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Geomatics, Applied Mathematics, or a related field.
• Solid foundation in statistics and estimation theory (e.g., least squares, Kalman filtering) from coursework, research, or project experience.
• Familiarity programming in both C++ and Python.
• Internship, academic research, or project-based experience with navigation, estimation, or signal processing is welcomed in place of industry experience.

Nice To Haves

• Prior exposure to PPP algorithms or implementations.
• Familiarity with GNSS receiver internal mechanics or the GNSS signal processing chain.
• Familiarity with GNSS data formats (RINEX, SP3, RTCM).
• Familiarity with orbital mechanics, reference frames, and time systems.

Responsibilities

• Develop tools to monitor the health, availability, and performance of the Pulsar constellation and GNSS signals in real time.
• Collaborate on and help validate Precise Point Positioning (PPP) algorithms and other estimation pipelines across the navigation stack.
• Work closely with senior navigation engineers to review results, troubleshoot algorithm performance, and build toward greater ownership of navigation subsystems over time.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level