Testbed Software Engineer

As a Testbed Software Engineer, you will architect and build our spacecraft Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) testbed software from scratch, integrating flight hardware (or engineering models) with real-time simulation and automated validation tooling. This means integrating flight hardware with real-time simulation and automated validation to test flight software, avionics interfaces, fault management, and operational workflows end-to-end before launch.

What You’ll Own

• Design the HIL testbed architecture: scalable patterns, reproducible baselines, maintainable infrastructure
• Integrate flight hardware + simulation + command/telemetry + automated tests into deterministic workflows
• Build interface layers for avionics and instrumentation (RS-422/485, Ethernet, I2C/SPI, GPIO, DAQ, power systems)
• Implement the FSW simulation layer (sensor/actuator emulation, peripheral models, timing models, interface shims)
• Design fault injection and scenario orchestration for FDIR, safe-mode, and recovery validation
• Develop telemetry capture, decode, time alignment, replay, and automated reporting tools
• Characterize system timing (latency, jitter, scheduling, resource usage) and define acceptance criteria
• Automate regression testing and integrate HIL into CI/CD

• Experience building or owning production-quality HIL, SIL, or integrated test environments
• Experience connecting real hardware to simulation (robotics, autonomy, automotive HIL, avionics, or embedded systems)
• Hands-on expertise with embedded buses and lab instrumentation (RS-422/485, Ethernet, I2C/SPI, GPIO, DAQ)
• Strong grasp of real-time systems: timing, latency, scheduling, determinism, resource constraints
• Track record debugging across hardware, firmware, and software boundaries
• Strong documentation and cross-functional communication skills

Nice to Have

• Mission-critical or safety-critical systems experience
• Hardware test environments integrated into CI/CD
• Operations rehearsals, telemetry analysis, or anomaly investigations
• Python, C/C++, or Rust development experience
• Knowledge of aerospace communication protocols (CAN, Ethernet, RS-422/485)
• Space experience is not required. We welcome robotics, autonomy, automotive HIL, aerospace, defense, and other mission/safety-critical systems backgrounds. If you don’t meet every requirement but are excited about the role, apply anyway.

Compensation: Competitive salary commensurate with experience, plus equity and comprehensive benefits including health insurance, 401(k), and generous time off.

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.

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.