Amazon Leo is Amazon's low Earth orbit satellite network. Our mission is to deliver fast, reliable internet connectivity to customers beyond the reach of existing networks. From individual households to schools, hospitals, businesses, and government agencies, Amazon Leo will serve people and organizations operating in locations without reliable connectivity.

As a leader of the Launch Operations Software (LOPS) team, you will lead and grow an experienced, cross disciplinary engineering team responsible for conceiving, developing, deploying, and supporting the mission critical software systems that enable satellite processing, health check execution, and launch readiness at Amazon Leo's Payload Processing Facility and launch sites. The LOPS team builds the software that bridges satellite manufacturing, integration, processing and launch readiness, ensuring every vehicle is prepared for flight at the operational tempo Amazon Leo demands.

As a manager of this team you will play a crucial role in ensuring Amazon Leo's readiness for high cadence launch operations through reliable, automated, and scalable software systems. You will work closely with cross functional teams and numerous engineering organizations across Redmond and Florida to architect, implement, and operate the software infrastructure that underpins every launch campaign.

This role requires a leader who thrives in ambiguity, can stand up new capabilities rapidly, and understands that every system this team builds sits on the critical path to putting satellites in orbit. You are required to see around corners and plan many steps ahead to ensure your team is prepared.

Export Control Requirement: 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
Build, lead, and manage a team of system development engineers focused on satellite processing software, launch readiness tooling, and data aggregation services leveraging Python, Docker, and AWS. Own the end to end software lifecycle from development through production deployment and operational support at the Payload Processing Facility and launch sites. Provide technical guidance on broadly scoped projects, ensuring test capabilities are performed safely for personnel and vehicles.

Drive development of automated software execution, version validation, and data aggregation services that inform priorities. Define team growth, organizational strategy, and a technical roadmap scaling from early operations through full rate production launches across multiple vehicle providers.

Coordinate cross functional dependencies with partner teams to ensure data consistency, integration interfaces, and operational workflows are aligned and delivered on schedule. Communicate fluidly from technicians to leadership, surfacing launch readiness risks and driving resolution. Establish operational excellence mechanisms including readiness dashboards and reliability standards for mission critical launch windows.

Develop solutions that reduce manual effort, eliminate configuration errors, and enable the transition to automated, software defined launch operations. Conduct root cause analysis that eliminates entire classes of risk. Foster Amazonian culture ensuring engineering rigor and customer obsession in everything the team delivers.

A day in the life
A Launch Operations Software Manager is customer obsessed with the satellite manufacturing and processing teams. They collaborate with all stakeholders to turn test requirements into software procedures. One day they may be designing a new a software capability. The next day, they will be maintaining the code pipeline. The third day, they might be working with the manufacturing engineers to command the satellites.

They will develop new solutions, test them on non-flight articles, solicit review and approval from other stakeholders and release a final solution. The ideal candidate works in collaboration with other departments to deliver a software solution.

Basic Qualifications

• 3+ years of engineering team management experience
• 7+ years of engineering experience
• 5+ years of designing or architecting (design patterns, reliability and scaling) of new and existing systems experience
• 5+ years of providing technical leadership and project management for all aspects of the software development lifecycle experience
• Bachelor's degree or foreign equivalent in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or a related field
• Knowledge of engineering practices and patterns for the full software/hardware/networks development life cycle, including coding standards, code reviews, source control management, build processes, testing, certification, and livesite operations
• Experience partnering with product or program management teams

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in communicating with users, other technical teams, and senior leadership to collect requirements, describe software product features, technical designs, and product strategy
• Experience in recruiting, hiring, mentoring/coaching and managing teams of Software Engineers to improve their skills, and make them more effective, product software engineers
• Experience delivering products against plan in a fast-paced, multi-disciplined, distributed-responsibility and often ambiguous environment
• Experience managing a team of high calibre Software Engineers developing complex, world class, scalable software systems that have been successfully delivered to customers

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, FL, Merritt Island - 184,900.00 - 250,200.00 USD annually