Senior Mixed Signals Engineer Verified today

About Xona

Xona is building Pulsar, a global satellite-based positioning and timing network in Low Earth Orbit. The system provides centimeter-level navigation independent of GPS, serving autonomous systems, critical infrastructure, and precision applications that demand higher accuracy and resilience than current GNSS.

The Role

You will lead the design and implementation of advanced mixed-signal electronics for Xona's satellite and space-based systems. Your primary responsibility is the placement, layout, and high-speed routing of RFSoC-based boards, integrating RF, analog, digital, clocking, power, and high-speed data interfaces into a robust, space-qualified hardware platform.

Working closely with RF, electrical, FPGA, and mechanical teams, you will take RFSoC hardware from concept through design, prototyping, test, and production. You will ensure layouts meet performance, manufacturability, thermal, mechanical, reliability, and space-environment requirements.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, or related discipline
• 8+ years of experience in mixed-signal, RF, high-speed digital, or advanced PCB design
• Deep understanding of electromagnetic principles in radio frequency communications
• Proficiency reading PCBA schematics and layout drawings; hands-on experience with PCB ECAD tools such as Altium for schematic and layout
• Demonstrated experience laying out complex RFSoC, FPGA, ADC/DAC, RF, or high-speed mixed-signal boards
• Strong grasp of mixed-signal PCB design principles: controlled impedance, differential signaling, high-speed serial interfaces, clock and synchronization design, power distribution, grounding and shielding, RF transmission lines, signal and power integrity
• Hands-on experience with electrical and RF test equipment: multimeters, oscilloscopes, signal generators, spectrum analyzers
• Knowledge of RF communications system performance metrics
• Experience using or interpreting signal-integrity, power-integrity, electromagnetic, or thermal analysis tools
• Experience with RFSoC or comparable AMD/Xilinx devices, including device pin planning, power requirements, clocking, transceiver interfaces, and high-speed data-converter connectivity
• Familiarity with interfaces such as JESD204, DDR, PCIe, Ethernet, Aurora, high-speed ADC/DAC interfaces, and RF clocking systems
• Willing and able to travel to support off-site testing events
• Self-starter with proactive approach to project execution from design through implementation
• Excellent problem-solving, attention to detail, and ability to thrive in fast-paced cross-team collaboration
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills; ability to work with multidisciplinary teams and external partners
• Deep understanding of manufacturing constraints, PCB fabrication, assembly, inspection, and design-for-manufacturing

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience designing electronics for satellites, spacecraft, launch vehicles, avionics, or mission-critical systems
• Experience with space-qualified or radiation-tolerant components and PCB materials
• Familiarity with ECSS, NASA, MIL-STD, IPC, or other aerospace and electronics standards
• Experience with thermal-vacuum, vibration, shock, radiation, EMC/EMI, and environmental qualification testing
• Experience designing RF payload, software-defined radio, communications, radar, remote-sensing, or satellite-navigation hardware
• Knowledge of RFSoC development workflows including Vivado, PetaLinux, Vitis, RF Data Converter tools, RFDC configuration, and FPGA/embedded integration
• Experience with RF front-end design, antenna interfaces, frequency conversion, filtering, amplification, and low-noise signal chains
• Familiarity with radiation analysis, derating, reliability prediction, failure-mode analysis, and fault-tolerant design
• Experience with Python, MATLAB, or similar tools for design automation, analysis, and test
• Experience leading technical reviews

Clearance and Eligibility

To comply with U.S. Government space technology export regulations, applicants must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the United States (Green Card holder), or other protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3).