Senior Embedded Software Engineer, Applied Automation Controls/Embedded Software

Amazon; North Reading (MA); On-site; USD 168,000 - 227,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, and Vision Coverage

Maternity and Parental Leave Options

Paid Time Off (PTO)

401(k) Plan

Job summary

Amazon is seeking an experienced Senior Embedded Software Engineer to join its Applied Automation Controls team in North Reading, MA. You will architect and develop real-time embedded control software for robotic workcells, collaborating with hardware engineers and software teams to deliver reliable automation solutions.

The role focuses on motion control, trajectory planning, and distributed software architectures, with opportunities to mentor peers and lead design reviews.

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.
• 4+ years of programming using a modern programming language such as Java, C++, or C#, including object-oriented design experience.
• Experience in embedded development in C/C++.
• 4+ years of embedded firmware development experience.
• Experience with version control systems and CI/CD pipeline implementation.
• Experience defining cross-service API contracts (protobuf, gRPC, or equivalent) and managing schema evolution across independently versioned systems

Responsibilities

• Design and implement real-time embedded control software for robotic workcells, including motion controllers, trajectory planners, and sensor integration modules that enable precise manipulation and coordination of robotic systems.
• Develop software architectures that balance real-time performance constraints with maintainability and extensibility, ensuring control systems can reliably execute complex automation.
• Lead the development of control algorithms and embedded software components within the robot controls architecture, integrating motion primitives and coordinating multi-robot operations.
• Partner with hardware teams to define control interfaces, implement device drivers, and optimize software performance for embedded platforms including industrial PCs and real-time operating systems.
• Guide technical design reviews and contribute to architecture selections that impact the scalability, reliability, and performance of our control systems.
• Mentor team members on embedded systems best practices, real-time programming techniques, and industrial automation fundamentals.
• Participate in on-call rotations to assist production systems and drive root cause analysis for control system issues.

Skills

Non-internship software development

Programming languages

Design architecture

Mentorship / tech lead

Embedded C/C++

Embedded firmware

Version control / CI-CD

API contracts (protobuf/gRPC)

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or equivalent

Job description

Senior Embedded Software Engineer, Applied Automation Controls/Embedded Software

Job ID: 10489766 | Amazon.com Services LLC

We are seeking an experienced Software Development Engineer specializing in controls and embedded software to join our robotics team developing advanced workcell automation solutions. In this role, you will architect, design, develop, and deploy real-time control systems that orchestrate complex robotic manipulation tasks within automated workcells. You will work at the intersection of embedded systems, motion control, and distributed software architecture to deliver reliable, high-performance automation solutions for production environments.

Key job responsibilities

• Design and implement real-time embedded control software for robotic workcells, including motion controllers, trajectory planners, and sensor integration modules that enable precise manipulation and coordination of robotic systems.
• Develop software architectures that balance real-time performance constraints with maintainability and extensibility, ensuring control systems can reliably execute complex automation.
• Lead the development of control algorithms and embedded software components within the robot controls architecture, integrating motion primitives and coordinating multi-robot operations.
• Partner with hardware teams to define control interfaces, implement device drivers, and optimize software performance for embedded platforms including industrial PCs and real-time operating systems.
• Guide technical design reviews and contribute to architecture selections that impact the scalability, reliability, and performance of our control systems.
• Mentor team members on embedded systems best practices, real-time programming techniques, and industrial automation fundamentals.
• Participate in on-call rotations to assist production systems and drive root cause analysis for control system issues.

A day in the life

Guide technical design reviews and contribute to architecture selections that impact the scalability, reliability, and performance of our control systems. Mentor team members on embedded systems best practices, real-time programming techniques, and controls engineering fundamentals. Participate in on-call rotations to assist production systems and drive root cause analysis for control system issues.

Benefits

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Coverage
• Maternity and Parental Leave Options
• Paid Time Off (PTO)
• 401(k) Plan

Amazon offers a full range of benefits that assist you and eligible family members, including domestic partners. Benefits can vary by location, the number of regularly scheduled hours you work, length of employment, and job status such as seasonal or temporary employment. The benefits that generally apply to regular, full-time employees include:

About the team

You will join a focused team of approximately 10+ Software Development Engineers working at the forefront of robotic workcell automation. Our team is accountable for developing and maintaining the core software systems that power automated manipulation solutions, with primary focus areas including manipulation systems, and Workcell Controls Architecture development. We operate in a highly partnership-focused environment where engineers work closely across disciplines to solve complex technical problems that span embedded systems, real-time control, motion planning, and distributed software architecture.

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
• 4+ years of programming using a modern programming language such as Java, C++, or C#, including object-oriented design experience
• Experience in embedded development in C/C++
• Bachelor's degree in computer science or equivalent
• 4+ years of embedded firmware development experience
• Experience with version control systems and CI/CD pipeline implementation
• Experience defining cross-service API contracts (protobuf, gRPC, or equivalent) and managing schema evolution across independently versioned systems

Preferred Qualifications

• 5+ years of full software development life cycle, including coding standards, code reviews, source control management, build processes, testing, and operations experience
• Experience with Industrial control systems, both hardware and software
• Experience with robotic motion planning — trajectory generation, velocity profiling, multi-axis coordinated motion — in a real-time embedded context
• Experience with industrial communication protocols (e.g., EtherCAT, Profinet, EtherNet/IP, or similar), including understanding of cyclic vs. acyclic data exchange, network configuration, and device integration
• Familiarity with RTOS configuration, tuning, and performance profiling of latency-sensitive control loops

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&DD 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, MA, N.Reading - 168,100.00 - 227,400.00 USD annually

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

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