Senior Software Development Engineer, Amazon Leo Optical Inter-Satellite Link

Socket.dev; Redmond (WA); On-site; USD 168,000 - 227,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) matching

Paid time off

Parental leave

Job summary

Amazon LEO is seeking a Software Engineer to design, implement, and maintain embedded flight software for optical inter-satellite links. You will work across hardware, software, and operations teams to deliver reliable, scalable software running on satellites in orbit.

You will own the lifecycle from requirements through deployment, including fault management, OTA updates, and rigorous testing in hardware-in-the-loop environments, contributing to cutting-edge space-based networking capabilities.

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 of new and existing systems.
• Experience as a mentor, tech lead or leading an engineering team.
• 5+ years of experience with the Linux networking stack and/or embedded Linux, Yocto, and/or RTOS.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and optimize embedded flight software for optical inter-satellite link systems.
• Architect fault-tolerant software systems for a satellite constellation with health monitoring and autonomous recovery.
• Build and maintain test, validation, and simulation infrastructure including hardware-in-the-loop and software-in-the-loop testing.
• Own full lifecycle of embedded software delivery from requirements to production in orbit.
• Collaborate with hardware, optics, systems, and operations engineers to deploy high-speed optical communication systems.

Skills

Professional software development

Programming experience

Leadership / mentoring

Linux networking / embedded Linux / RT

Tools

QEMU/KVM

Yocto

RTOS

Job description

Amazon LEO

Amazon LEO is an initiative to increase global broadband access through a constellation of 3,236 satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO). Its mission is to bring fast, affordable broadband to unserved and underserved communities around the world. Amazon LEO will help close the digital divide by delivering fast, affordable broadband to a wide range of customers, including consumers, businesses, government agencies, and other organizations operating in places without reliable connectivity.

Innovation is part of our DNA! Our goal is to be Earth’s most customer centric company, and we are just getting started. We need people who want to join this ambitious program that continues to push the state of the art in distributed systems and software design. Come work at Amazon!

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

• Design, develop, and optimize highly reliable flight software for optical inter-satellite link systems, spanning low-level device drivers and real-time control loops to high-level autonomous behaviors, fault management, and AI/ML-driven decision-making that target embedded linux and RTOS (Real Time Operating System)
• Architect and implement fault-tolerant, redundant software systems that keep optical links alive across a constellation of satellites, including health monitoring and autonomous recovery without ground intervention
• Build and maintain robust test, validation, and simulation infrastructure, from hardware-in-the-loop testbeds and software-in-the-loop virtualizations to automated regression suites
• Own the full lifecycle of embedded software delivery - from requirements decomposition and architecture design through implementation, code review, integration, deployment, and long-term maintenance of software running on satellites in orbit
• Collaborate deeply with cross-functional teams spanning hardware, optics, systems, communications, and operations engineers to design, integrate, test, and deploy high-speed optical communication systems that push the boundaries of space-based networking
• Drive continuous improvement of deployment and over-the-air (OTA) update processes, ensuring new capabilities and fixes can be safely and reliably delivered to hundreds of satellites on orbit with minimal operational risk
• Partner with software and hardware teams to lead board bring-up and integration efforts, including developing and debugging low-level BSP (Board Support Package) components, validating peripheral connectivity (Ethernet, PCIe, SPI, I2C, flash devices), and ensuring seamless hardware-software integration from prototype through production

A day in the life

As a Software Engineer on the Optical Inter-Satellite Link team, you won't just write code - you'll see it fly. Your software will control and monitor high-speed laser communications between satellites moving at orbital velocities, and you'll be there for every stage of the journey: from early design and on-the-ground verifications to watching your code commission an optical link for the first time in orbit.

About the team

You will join a multi-disciplinary team of top-notch engineers whose work spans an unusually wide aperture: embedded flight software running on satellites in orbit, cloud-based systems powering mission and network operations, automation frameworks that keep a growing constellation healthy, and AI-driven capabilities that make our optical links smarter with every orbit. We collaborate closely with optical, electrical, firmware, opto-mechanical, and operations teams — and with partner organizations including Mission Operations and Optical Network Operations — to deliver one of the most advanced optical communication systems ever built.

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
• - 5+ years of experience with the Linux networking stack and/or consumer devices using embedded Linux, Yocto, and/or Real Time Operating Systems (RTOS)

Preferred Qualifications

• - Experience developing embedded software for space systems, including familiarity with optical communication systems, laser terminals, or high-speed serial interfaces
• - Experience with ARM-based SoCs
• - Experience with Linux system virtualization (QEMU/KVM)
• - Experience with FPGA-adjacent software development, including register-level interfaces, DMA engines, or hardware/software co-design

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

Los Angeles County applicants: Job duties for this position include: work safely and cooperatively with other employees, supervisors, and staff; adhere to standards of excellence despite stressful conditions; communicate effectively and respectfully with employees, supervisors, and staff to ensure exceptional customer service; and follow all federal, state, and local laws and Company policies. Criminal history may have a direct, adverse, and negative relationship with some of the material job duties of this position. These include the duties and responsibilities listed above, as well as the abilities to adhere to company policies, exercise sound judgment, effectively manage stress and work safely and respectfully with others, exhibit trustworthiness and professionalism, and safeguard business operations and the Company’s reputation. Pursuant to the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

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, CA, NORTHRIDGE - 168,100.00 - 227,400.00 USD annually

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