Software Engineer - Build & Release
- Salary
- $132K - $178K
- Level
- Mid
- Work type
- On-site · Burlingame
Not stated in the posting: visa.
Open. First seen 2 October 2026.
About the role
Xona Space Systems's standard text
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 are looking for a Build & Release Software Engineer to own our build systems, CI/CD infrastructure, and release tooling for the software powering Xona's satellite systems. You'll improve developer productivity while ensuring reliable, repeatable builds and releases across both simulation and hardware-integrated environments.
What You'll Do
- Design, maintain, and optimize cross-platform build systems using tools such as CMake and Bazel.
- Manage and upgrade compiler toolchains (GCC, Clang, etc.) while handling complex dependency graphs, third-party libraries, and internal package management.
- Own and improve CI/CD workflows supporting large-scale C++ applications.
- Diagnose and optimize compilation and linking bottlenecks through caching, parallelization, and distributed build strategies.
- Ensure seamless cross-compilation across multiple architectures, including x86 and ARM.
- Support testing in containerized and emulated environments using technologies such as Docker and QEMU.
- Write robust tooling and automation scripts in Python and Bash for environment provisioning, static analysis, and artifact generation.
- Partner closely with C++ software engineers to improve modular architecture, dependency management, and overall build reliability.
- Ensure reproducible build and release environments across local development, CI, and hardware-integrated systems.
Required Qualifications
- 3+ years of experience inw Build & Release Engineering, Developer Infrastructure, or DevOps supporting complex C++ codebases.
- Advanced proficiency with CMake and GNU Make/Ninja.
- Strong Linux command-line and Bash scripting skills.
- Strong understanding of the C++ build, compilation, and linking lifecycle.
- Familiarity with modern C++ standards (C++17/20/23).
- Experience managing complex dependency graphs and modular build targets.
- Hands-on experience with containerization platforms such as Docker or Podman for build environment provisioning, dependency isolation, and reproducible CI/CD workflows.
Desired Qualifications
- Experience developing or supporting Embedded Linux systems using Yocto, Buildroot, or similar tools.
- Experience with hardware emulation tools such as QEMU.
- Familiarity with GitLab CI workflows.
- Experience working on embedded, aerospace, robotics, or other hardware-integrated software systems.
- Experience optimizing large-scale build systems using Bazel, remote execution, or similar distribu=-ed build technologies.
- Knowledge of linker internals, symbol visibility, and binary analysis tools such as ldd, nm, objdump, and readelf.
- Familiarity with static and dynamic analysis tools such as Clang-Tidy, AddressSanitizer (ASan), and SonarQube.
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.
Xona Space Systems's standard text
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.
What this role asks for
Particular to this role
Bazel · CMake · Docker · GitLab · Yocto
Rare in Xona Space Systems's other 41 open postings.
Standard for software engineering roles
Python
Common in software engineering postings at any company.
83% of this description is written for the role. The rest is Xona Space Systems's standard text, folded away below.
Read against Xona Space Systems's other open postings on this site.
The team: Flight Software
This role is one of 3 open in Flight Software.
WHAT THE TEAM WORKS WITH, ACROSS ITS POSTINGS
C++ (3 of 3), CI/CD (3 of 3), Embedded Systems (3 of 3), Python (2 of 3)
OTHER ROLES ON THIS TEAM
- Director of Flight Software Engineering posted Aug 27
- Software Test Engineer, Flight Software Integration & Test Operations posted Feb 27
From the team and dates on Xona Space Systems's own job board.
Other openings for this role
2 open postings for this role in Burlingame, California, first posted 2 October 2026. The company is likely hiring for more than one position. None has been taken down and posted again.
- 2 October 2026 – open
- 2 October 2026 – open (this posting)
See Software Engineer salaries in the United States →
Similar jobs
- Software Engineer II - Build Tools at Torc Robotics
Shares 9 skills: CMake, Bazel, GitLab… · same seniority · same country - Senior Build Engineer, Automated Build & Release at 1X
Shares 9 skills: CMake, Bazel, GitLab… · same country - Lead C/C++ Linux Embedded Software Engineer (SBC) at KRUSH Tech Inc
Shares 10 skills: CMake, Yocto, GitLab… · same country - Flight Software Engineer at Loft Federal
Shares 9 skills: CMake, Yocto, GitLab… · same seniority · same country - Robotic Software Engineer - Aerial Autonomy at Applied Intuition
Shares 8 skills: CMake, GitLab, Bash… · same seniority · same country - Senior Mixed Signals Engineer at Xona Space Systems
Also at this company
Is this your posting and you want it taken down? Email info@careerholo.com.