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Sr. Mechanical Engineer

Xona· Engineering
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Burlingame, California$185k - $218kFull-timePosted 1w ago

About the role

Senior-level propulsion-focused mechanical engineer responsible for architecting and owning the design of advanced satellite propulsion hardware, from concept through prototype, testing, and transition to production, in Xona’s Burlingame propulsion team.

Responsibilities

  • Serve as the lead designer for the propulsion system and supporting hardware.
  • Drive Design for Manufacturability (DFM) across several high-precision mechanical components and assemblies working directly with machine shops and specialty vendors.
  • Select materials for high-temperature, high-vacuum, and other demanding environments and define standards and material treatments.
  • Perform structural and thermal analysis to evaluate margins and ensure survival under launch and operational environments.
  • Build, assemble, and iterate on prototype hardware, and support integration into TVAC facilities.
  • Develop and execute test plans for prototypes, engineering models, and flight hardware, and troubleshoot mechanical assemblies in the lab.
  • Define inspection, acceptance, and assembly procedures that carry the design from prototype into sustained production.
  • Support supplier evaluation and selection for mechanical and thermal components.

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's or Master's degree in mechanical engineering or a related field.
  • Experience leading mechanical hardware design and development from concept through prototype and into production.
  • Strong Design for Manufacturability and direct experience working with machinists and vendors.
  • Expert-level GD&T and tolerance analysis (ASME Y14.5).
  • Deep materials knowledge, including refractory metals and ceramics, and the ability to specify processing and heat treatment.
  • Proficiency with mechanical CAD (such as SolidWorks) and finite element modelling for structural and thermal analysis.
  • A prototyping-first mindset and comfort building and testing your own hardware.
  • Strong problem-solving ability and attention to detail.
  • Ability to work collaboratively within multidisciplinary engineering teams.

Skills

Required:Design for Manufacturability (DFM)GD&T (ASME Y14.5)Materials selection and heat treatmentCAD (SolidWorks)Finite Element Modelling (FEM)Prototype development
Last updated Oct 14, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.

About Xona

Next Era Navigational Intelligence | Xona

Xona is the navigation infrastructure company bringing real-time, centimeter-level certainty to any device, anywhere on Earth.

Location servicesPulsarGNSSNavigationPNTsatellites
Company profileWebsite

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