Senior Software Development Engineer, Leo Autopilot

Are you ready to write code that operates real spacecraft in orbit? We're building the autonomous system that decides what every satellite in our constellation does, when it does it, and how it recovers when something goes wrong — all without a human in the loop for routine operations. This isn't about building another web service; it's about creating software that continuously manages an entire fleet of satellites at scale, making critical decisions under real physical constraints.

This role offers a rare combination: the depth of hard systems problems — planning and scheduling under physical constraints, coordinating across a large fleet, designing safeguards you have to trust with spacecraft — alongside the ownership that comes with a small team and an expanding charter. Because the constellation and its software are both still growing, the architecture decisions you make now will run for the life of the fleet, and your work connects directly to delivering reliable broadband to people who don't have it today.

Export Control:
Due to applicable export control laws and regulations, candidates must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (i.e., current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum.

Key job responsibilities

• Work with our peer teams and customers to design suitable software systems to fulfill the mission needs.
• Develop cloud native software systems in Java and Python.
• Utilize AWS and other Amazon technologies to build highly-available software services.
• Design and develop performant software systems that meet the mission criteria and requirements.
• Help on-board and mentor new team members.
• Lead technical roadmap definition efforts and decide which features and performance improvements to build.

A day in the life
You start the day with your team, aligning on what's shipping and where you can unblock each other. Most of your time goes to building: designing services, writing and reviewing code, and hardening systems that operate real spacecraft. You work closely with operators and mission teams, watching how they handle tricky situations, spotting patterns, and turning them into automation. Some weeks you go deep on a single system; others you're connecting several so they work as one. You'll also take turns supporting the systems you build, which keeps you close to how they behave in the real world.

About the team
Our mission is to operate a satellite constellation autonomously. We're building software that changes how satellites are managed: the ground sets the intent and guardrails, and the system schedules work, coordinates across the fleet, and recovers from faults on its own — with people supervising outcomes instead of issuing commands one at a time.

We're a small team with a large and expanding charter, which means engineers here have real influence over architecture and direction. We care about operational excellence, clear thinking, and building systems we can trust with spacecraft. You'll collaborate closely with operations, mission planning, and hardware teams, and you'll see your work make a direct difference for customers who don't have reliable broadband today.

Basic qualifications

• 5+ years of non-internship professional software development experience
• 5+ years of programming with at least one software programming language experience
• 5+ years of leading design or architecture (design patterns, reliability and scaling) of new and existing systems experience
• Experience as a mentor, tech lead or leading an engineering team

Preferred qualifications

• 5+ years of full software development life cycle, including coding standards, code reviews, source control management, build processes, testing, and operations experience
• Bachelor's degree in computer science or equivalent

Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status.

Our inclusive culture empowers Amazonians to deliver the best results for our customers. If you have a disability and need a workplace accommodation or adjustment during the application and hiring process, including support for the interview or onboarding process, please visit https://amazon.jobs/content/en/how-we-hire/accommodations for more information. If the country/region you’re applying in isn’t listed, please contact your Recruiting Partner.

The base salary range for this position is listed below. Your Amazon package will include sign-on payments and restricted stock units (RSUs). Final compensation will be determined based on factors including experience, qualifications, and location. Amazon also offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance (medical, dental, vision, prescription, Basic Life & AD&D insurance and option for Supplemental life plans, EAP, Mental Health Support, Medical Advice Line, Flexible Spending Accounts, Adoption and Surrogacy Reimbursement coverage), 401(k) matching, paid time off, and parental leave. Learn more about our benefits at https://amazon.jobs/en/benefits.

USA, WA, Redmond - 168,100.00 - 227,400.00 USD annually