Senior Mgr. Engineering Certification , Prime Air - Office of the Chief Engineer

Amazon Inc.; Seattle, Northern (WA, KY); On-site; USD 198,000 - 268,000; Full time

Job summary

Amazon's Prime Air is seeking a Senior Certification Engineering Leader to drive airworthiness certification strategy for the MK30 unmanned aircraft system. You will shape design decisions and verify evidence across DO-178C, DO-254, and DO-160G, partnering with software, hardware, and systems teams.

You will lead a team of certification engineers, collaborate with FAA, EASA, and international DERs/CVEs, and optimize schedules while upholding safety and regulatory standards across global markets.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of planning, designing, developing and delivering consumer software experience.
• Bachelor's degree required.
• Knowledge of software engineering best practices across SDLC.

Responsibilities

• Own certification compliance strategy for unmanned aircraft systems across DO-178C/DO-254/DO-160G.
• Partner with software, hardware, systems, and test teams to influence design decisions early.
• Represent Prime Air to FAA, EASA and other authorities with engineering evidence.

Skills

Software development lifecycle

Leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Regulatory understanding

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

DO-178C

DO-254

DO-160G

Code reviews

Source control

Job description

Senior Mgr. Engineering Certification , Prime Air - Office of the Chief Engineer

Job ID: 10563863 | Amazon.com Services LLC

Prime Air is seeking an experienced Senior Certification Engineering Leader to drive airworthiness certification strategy for the MK30 unmanned aircraft system. This role is uniquely positioned at the intersection of engineering execution and regulatory compliance — the ideal candidate approaches certification not as an administrative exercise, but as an engineering problem rooted in system design, architecture, and verification. The focus is on finding compliance within the engineering work already being done, identifying gaps early, and shaping design decisions to satisfy certification requirements efficiently.

Key job responsibilities

Certification Engineering Strategy

• Own the certification compliance strategy for Prime Air's unmanned aircraft systems across DO-178C (software), DO-254 (hardware), and DO-160G (environmental qualification), identifying where existing engineering work satisfies certification objectives and where targeted gaps exist
• Partner with engineering teams (software, hardware, systems, test) to influence design decisions early in the lifecycle, distinguishing real regulatory requirements from overly conservative interpretations to reduce process burden while maintaining airworthiness rigor

International Regulatory Partnerships

• Serve as the key certification partner to regional regulatory teams across all markets Prime Air operates in (EASA, CASA, DGCA, CAA, JCAB, and others), building deep working relationships and understanding each authority's unique certification processes and standards
• Drive a unified-yet-adaptable certification strategy that maximizes reuse of evidence across jurisdictions, resolves regulatory deltas between authorities, and supports bilateral validation processes (e.g., FAA-to-EASA) to reduce international approval timelines
• Proactively engage with regional teams on emerging regulations (e.g., EU U-Space, FAA BVLOS rulemaking) to ensure Prime Air's certification strategy anticipates new requirements before they become blockers

Team Leadership & Organizational Impact

• Lead a team of certification engineers, developing talent that combines engineering depth with certification expertise
• Represent Prime Air to the FAA, EASA, and international DERs/CVEs, articulating compliance arguments grounded in engineering evidence
• Develop and maintain certification plans, compliance matrices, and means of compliance documents, assessing effort and schedule impact across DO-178C, DO-254, and DO-160G
• Establish scalable certification processes that support Prime Air's pace of innovation and international expansion without compromising safety or regulatory standing

Basic Qualifications

• 10+ years of planning, designing, developing and delivering consumer software experience
• Bachelor's degree
• Knowledge of professional software engineering & best practices for full software development life cycle, including coding standards, software architectures, code reviews, source control management, continuous deployments, testing, and operational excellence
• Experience in planning, designing, developing and delivering consumer software

Preferred Qualifications

• 5+ years of managing managers experience
• Experience in managing managers
• Experience coordinating projects across organizations that span hundreds or thousands of people
• Experience in supporting critical software systems in operational environments

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, Seattle - 197,900.00 - 267,800.00 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. Veterans, military spouses, and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.