Manager, Payload Manufacturing Test Engineering, Amazon Leo

Amazon Kuiper Manufacturing Enterprises LLC; Kirkland (WA); On-site; USD 170,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Amazon Leo is seeking an experienced Engineering Manager to lead the PAA Manufacturing Test engineering team in Kirkland, WA. You will own the people, processes, and equipment for functional and environmental tests of phased-array antenna hardware, building a high-performing team and driving technical direction.

You will manage test equipment, calibrations, and process improvements, while partnering with cross-functional engineering groups to ensure production readiness and quality.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in electrical or mechanical engineering required.
• Experience leading manufacturing/test teams in high-volume environments preferred.
• Strong understanding of test methodologies and equipment maintenance.

Responsibilities

• Direct a team of test process and frontline support engineers for phased-array antenna manufacturing tests.
• Hire, develop, and retain engineering talent; conduct performance reviews and career growth planning.
• Set goals, priorities, and a culture of ownership, safety, and continuous improvement.
• Lead root-cause analysis and corrective actions to improve test throughput and reliability.

Skills

People Management

Team Leadership

Technical Leadership

Manufacturing Test

Test Equipment

Education

Bachelor's degree in electrical or mechanical engineering

Tools

EGSE

Test Systems

Calibration

Job description

Amazon Leo is Amazon's low Earth orbit satellite broadband network. Its mission is to deliver fast, reliable internet to customers and communities around the world, and we've designed the system with the capacity, flexibility, and performance to serve a wide range of customers - from individual households to schools, hospitals, businesses, government agencies, and other organizations operating in locations without reliable connectivity.

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.

We are looking for an experienced Engineering Manager to lead our PAA Manufacturing Test engineering team at Amazon Leo. In this role, you will own the people, processes, and equipment that keep our functional and environmental tests running at peak performance. You will lead a team of engineers, setting the technical direction and operational strategy for functional testing of satellite hardware. You will be responsible for building and developing a high-performing engineering team while also rolling up your sleeves to solve complex technical challenges alongside them.

You should be comfortable with a high degree of ambiguity and relish the idea of solving problems that haven't been solved at scale before. Along the way, we guarantee that you will learn a lot, have fun, and make a positive impact on tens of millions of people.

Key job responsibilities

People Management & Team Leadership

• Directly manage a team of test process and frontline support engineers supporting phased-array antenna manufacturing via functional and environmental testing
• Hire, develop, and retain top engineering talent; conduct performance reviews and support career growth
• Set clear goals and priorities for the team; foster a culture of ownership, safety, and continuous improvement
• Serve as an escalation point for technical issues and unblock the engineering team during daily test operations

Technical Leadership & Operations

• Own the strategy and execution for functional tests in compliance with applicable standards including MIL-STD-810, SMC-S-016, and MIL-STD-1540
• Serve as the primary technical authority and owner for automated test equipment (EGSE and test systems): maintenance, calibration, troubleshooting, bring-up, and commissioning of new equipment
• Troubleshoot and identify root causes of issues in test processes; implement corrective actions to prevent recurrence
• Partner with IT Infrastructure professionals to resolve networking and communication issues with test equipment
• Establish and continuously improve functional test processes to maximize output and enable rapid transition from engineering development to rate production

Process Development & Operational Excellence

• Identify improvement opportunities and execute initiatives to ensure product quality, reduce lead time, and increase productivity
• Enable production test autonomy by challenging requirements, simplifying work procedures, and automating actions
• Participate in lean manufacturing improvement efforts and drive operational excellence initiatives
• Establish and maintain calibration procedures and visual management of production tooling and equipment

Cross-Functional Partnership

• Partner with cross-functional teams including electrical engineering, RF engineering, mechanical engineering, thermal engineering, test software, flight software, reliability, maintenance, quality, and program management
• Represent the Integrated Satellite Testing value stream in program reviews, roadmap planning, and resource discussions with senior leadership

A day in the life

• As the Engineering Manager of the PAA Manufacturing Test Engineering team, you will balance people leadership with hands-on technical engagement. Your days will include coaching and developing your engineering team, reviewing test rack readiness and calibration status, and engaging directly with cross-functional partners to align on priorities for continuous improvement and new process development. You will be the go-to engineering leader when production issues arise - driving rapid root cause analysis and corrective action. You will also spend time building the team's long-term capabilities: hiring great engineers, developing processes that scale, and investing in automation that reduces manual burden on your team.

About the team

• This is a fast-paced, intellectually challenging position, and you'll work with leaders in multiple technology areas. You'll have relentlessly high standards for yourself and everyone you work with, and you'll be constantly looking for ways to improve your product's performance, quality and cost. We want individuals who are ready for this challenge and want to reach beyond what is possible today.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in electrical or mechanical engin