Senior Reliability Engineer, Amazon LEO

Amazon Kuiper Manufacturing Enterprises LLC; Redmond (WA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Amazon Leo is seeking a Senior Reliability Engineer to join the Hardware Reliability Engineering team for satellite hardware in space. You will develop and implement design-for-reliability practices, conduct rigorous testing, and analyze on-orbit data to improve robustness across manufacturing, testing, and lifecycle stages.

You will collaborate with design, fabrication, and systems teams to review designs, perform FMEA, and document reliability assessments, ensuring compliance with space

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in a related engineering field.
• 5+ years hardware reliability engineering experience.
• Experience with environmental testing.
• Familiarity with electronics and moving mechanical assemblies.
• Proficiency in failure analysis and materials characterization.

Responsibilities

• Develop reliability test plans for satellite hardware components.
• Perform environmental testing and failure analysis to meet targets.
• Collaborate with design engineers to implement design-for-reliability practices.
• Investigate manufacturing non-conformances and conduct root cause analysis; travel as needed.
• Use reliability modeling and simulation to predict performance and lifespan.
• Prepare detailed reliability reports, test plans, and procedures; present findings to teams.

Skills

Functional specs

Design verification

Functional tests

Failure analysis

Materials characterization

PCB/PCBAs knowledge

Mechanical assemblies

Project management

Interdisciplinary teamwork

Environmental testing

Education

Bachelor’s degree or higher in engineering

Master’s/Doctorate preferred

Tools

Python (NumPy, Pandas, SciPy)

Plotly, Matplotlib

PCB fabrication

SMT

IPC, JEDEC, AIAA, AEC, MIL, SMC standards

Job description

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.

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.

We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated Senior Reliability Engineer to join the Hardware Reliability Engineering team within the satellite development organization. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in electronics manufacturing processes, hardware reliability concepts, and reliability test practices, with a focus on ensuring the functional reliability and performance of satellite hardware systems in the harsh environment of space. You will be responsible for developing and implementing design-for-reliability best practices, conducting rigorous testing, and analyzing on-orbit data to enhance the robustness of Amazon Leo satellite hardware.

You will play an important role across key dimensions of a product's lifecycle: design trades, product development and release, manufacturing process qualification, supply chain reliability, environmental stress screens, and on-orbit fault and failure investigations. You will be a key member of a high-performance team responsible for delivering a reliable satellite constellation.

Key job responsibilities

Reliability Analysis and Testing:

• Develop and implement reliability test plans for satellite hardware components.
• Perform stress screening, environmental testing, and drive failure analysis to ensure satellite hardware meets reliability and performance targets
• Analyze designs and test results to identify potential failure modes and mitigations.

Design and Development Support:

• Collaborate with design engineers to implement design for reliability best practices.
• Act as a key stakeholder in reviewing and approving designs for release.
• Participate in design reviews and failure mode effects analysis (FMEA) to assess potential reliability issues.

Failure Investigation and Root Cause Analysis:

• Investigate manufacturing non-conformances and field hardware failures to determine root cause. Travel as needed to perform deep dives into supplier processes.
• Develop and recommend corrective actions to address identified reliability issues.
• Maintain detailed records of failure analysis and reliability assessments.

Reliability Modeling and Simulation:

• Utilize reliability modeling and simulation tools to predict hardware performance and lifespan.
• Develop and maintain reliability prediction models and databases.

Documentation and Reporting:

• Prepare detailed reliability reports, test plans, and procedures.
• Present findings and recommendations to engineering teams and management.
• Ensure compliance with industry standards and regulatory requirements for satellite hardware reliability.

Continuous Improvement:

• Stay current with industry trends, advancements, and best practices in hardware reliability engineering.
• Propose and implement process improvements to drive improvements in reliability across the program.

Basic Qualifications:

• Experience in developing functional specifications, design verification plans and functional test procedures
• Bachelor's degree or above in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Engineering, Reliability Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience in hardware reliability engineering, preferably with a focus on satellite systems or space applications.
• Significant knowledge of reliability engineering principles, methods, and tools.
• Knowledge with environmental testing
• Proficiency in failure analysis techniques and materials characterization methods.
• Familiarity with electronics (PCBs, PCBAs, electronic components) and moving mechanical assemblies.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working with interdisciplinary teams to execute product design from concept to production
• Experience with the project management of technical projects
• Master's or Doctorate degree or above in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Engineering, Reliability Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
• Experience with environmental testing, including temperature cycling, vibration, highly accelerated limit testing (HALT), and highly-accelerated stress screening (HASS).
• Proficiency in Python, including NumPy, Pandas, SciPy, Plotly, and Matplotlib.
• Familiarity with PCB fabrication, SMT, and polymerics application manufacturing processes.
• Familiarity with relevant industry standards, including IPC, JEDEC, AIAA, AEC, MIL, and SMC standards.

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