Configuration Manager

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.

As Xona's first Configuration Manager, you'll own the systems and processes that keep Xona's engineering data accurate, controlled, and accessible as we scale to a full constellation. You'll be the person who makes Product Data Management (PDM) and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) work, builds our Engineering Change Order (ECO) process from the ground up, and ensures engineering's data infrastructure integrates cleanly with the Supply Chain and Production teams as they stand up an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. This is a foundational hire -- the right person will define how Engineering configuration management works at Xona. If you want to have ownership, to thrive at the intersection of engineering rigor, program management and manufacturing scalability, and want to build something from scratch at a company doing new things in space, this role is for you!

Responsibilities

· PDM / PLM Ownership: Own PDM and PLM as Xona's systems of record for the product lifecycle, engineering bill of materials, standards & conventions, part libraries, document control, and change management – implement, configure, maintain, and improve the systems.

· ECO Process Ownership: Design and implement a lightweight, effective ECO process that fits how our hardware teams actually work -- balancing control and traceability with the speed a growing satellite constellation program demands

· ERP Integration Partnership: Serve as the engineering org's primary point of contact with Supply Chain and Production as they build out Xona's ERP system -- ensuring engineering data, part structures, and change processes integrate cleanly with enterprise workflows

· MES Integration: Support the connection between PDM and MES to ensure test procedures and work instructions are linked to the correct part revisions and change history

· Cross-Functional Tools Support: Work across Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, and Program Management to identify tooling gaps and process friction -- then fix them, whether that means configuring a system, writing a process doc, or coordinating with a vendor

· Documentation & Training: Own documentation and training for engineering systems -- make sure the Xona teams at each site share best practice and know how to use the tools correctly and consistently

Required Qualifications

· 3-6 years of experience administering, or posess deep user knowledge of PDM / PLM platforms (such as Arena, Windchill, Teamcenter, or Agile) in a hardware-centric engineering organization

· Hands-on experience building or managing engineering change order processes -- you understand the lifecycle from ECO initiation through approval, release, and implementation

· Demonstrated ability to work at the interface of engineering and production operations -- you understand how BOMs, PCBAs[AP3] , parts, and data revisions flow into procurement, manufacturing, and finance systems

· Strong systems thinker who can translate engineering workflows into tool configurations and process designs that actually hold up in practice

· Self-directed with a bias toward doing -- you identify problems, propose solutions, and drive them to completion without waiting for a detailed roadmap

· Clear communicator who can work effectively with engineers, operations leads, supply chain, and external software vendors alike

Preferred Qualifications

· Direct experience with Arena PDM software at an administrator level, , including BOM management, change workflow configuration, and user/permission management

· Familiarity with procurement/purchasing platforms, and experience connecting them to engineering data systems

· Experience with MES or other work instruction / test procedure platforms used in manufacturing or Assembly & integration environments

· Background in aerospace, defense, or similarly complex hardware development environments where configuration control and traceability matter. Familiarity with AS9100 Quality Management System beneficial.

· Experience supporting or contributing to an ERP implementation from the engineering data side

· Comfort working in a fast-moving, small-team environment where you'll be building process infrastructure largely from scratch

[AP1]@Sarah Parker / @Jay Wakenshaw PDM or PLM? Would we expect this person to be doing work in Solidworks PDM or just in Arena?

Same actually goes for the EE side of things, would they be in the EE version control / management tools, or in the Arena space?

[JW2]I think we state both PDM and PLM. Arena has broader PLM capabilities, and this person needs an understanding of both (in practice, there is a difference, but these often get conflated). Yes, ECAD and Altium is part of the full top level spacecraft configuration, so this needs integrating also into the overall process

[AP3]Adding PCBAs to be explicit we want someone who has experience with the electrical side of things as well since our satellite BOM has quite a lot of them. They should understand what a PCB is, how it comes together, and what’s important when defining the assemblies.

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

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.

We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.