Software Development Engineer, Leo Flight Software Team

Socket.dev; Redmond (WA); On-site; USD 144,000 - 194,000; Full time

Job summary

Amazon Leo in Redmond seeks an Embedded Software Development Engineer to build the VirtSat simulation platform, enabling testing of virtual satellites on EC2 bare-metal infrastructure.

You will own the Graviton virtualization layer, develop in Rust, C, and C++, and collaborate across cloud, embedded Linux, and satellite operations to bridge hardware and software releases.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of non-internship professional software development experience.
• Experience with Linux systems programming (C, Rust, Python, or Bash).
• Experience with virtualization or emulation (KVM, QEMU, Docker, or similar).
• Familiarity with embedded Linux (boot process, systemd, device drivers, or Yocto/Buildroot).
• Experience with shell scripting and system automation.
• BS in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or equivalent

Responsibilities

• Own the Graviton bare-metal virtualization layer — KVM/QEMU VM management, subsystem start/stop, health monitoring, and fault recovery.
• Develop embedded software in Rust, C, C++, or other modern languages for the virtualization and emulation layer
• Write device drivers and system applications for the various satellite systems running on virtual hardware
• Write software to interact with micro-controllers and emulated hardware peripherals (FPGA, HSM, sensors)
• Build and maintain the custom AMI pipeline that pre-configures all satellite dependencies, reducing provisioning time and preventing dependency drift
• Develop and optimize provisioning scripts that deploy satellite software (LEP images, firmware, certificates) onto emulated LRUs via SSM
• Implement plugin framework extensions for new LRU types (satellites, GGMAs, GTMAs, customer terminals) on the Graviton host
• Build network virtualization between VMs — WireGuard tunnels, inter-entity networking, and TT&C link emulation
• Optimize boot-time and provisioning latency for QEMU-based satellite instances
• Debug and resolve issues at the intersection of host OS (Ubuntu/ARM64), guest OS (LEP/Yocto), and QEMU emulation
• Develop fidelity improvements — HSM crypto emulation, EFUSE emulation, CAN bus simulation, and error injection frameworks
• Work closely with other software and hardware teams to support board bring-up and integration testing

Skills

Linux systems programming

C

Rust

Python

Bash

Virtualization

Embedded Linux

Shell scripting

Education

BS in Computer Science or Electrical Engineering

Tools

KVM

QEMU

Docker

Yocto/Buildroot

Job description

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.

About the Role:

We are looking for an Embedded Software Development Engineer to build and scale - VirtSat (Leo's Virtual Satellite Simulation platform). VirtSat enables developers and pipelines across Leo to create, provision, and test virtual satellites, ground gateways, customer terminals, and TT&C antennas on EC2 bare-metal infrastructure running KVM/QEMU.

As part of role, you will own the Graviton virtualization layer, managing VM lifecycle, LRU boot, subsystem provisioning, and software deployment for every virtual entity in the constellation. You will work at the intersection of cloud infrastructure, embedded Linux, and satellite operations building the platform that every Leo satellite software release is tested on before launch.

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

What You'll Work On :

• Own the Graviton bare-metal virtualization layer — KVM/QEMU VM management, subsystem start/stop, health monitoring, and fault recovery.
• Develop embedded software in Rust, C, C++, or other modern languages for the virtualization and emulation layer
• Write device drivers and system applications for the various satellite systems running on virtual hardware
• Write software to interact with micro-controllers and emulated hardware peripherals (FPGA, HSM, sensors)
• Build and maintain the custom AMI pipeline that pre-configures all satellite dependencies, reducing provisioning time and preventing dependency drift
• Develop and optimize provisioning scripts that deploy satellite software (LEP images, firmware, certificates) onto emulated LRUs via SSM
• Implement plugin framework extensions for new LRU types (satellites, GGMAs, GTMAs, customer terminals) on the Graviton host
• Build network virtualization between VMs — WireGuard tunnels, inter-entity networking, and TT&C link emulation
• Optimize boot-time and provisioning latency for QEMU-based satellite instances
• Debug and resolve issues at the intersection of host OS (Ubuntu/ARM64), guest OS (LEP/Yocto), and QEMU emulation
• Develop fidelity improvements — HSM crypto emulation, EFUSE emulation, CAN bus simulation, and error injection frameworks
• Work closely with other software and hardware teams to support board bring-up and integration testing

Basic Qualifications

• 3+ years of non-internship professional software development experience
• Experience with Linux systems programming (C, Rust, Python, or Bash)
• Experience with virtualization or emulation (KVM, QEMU, Docker, or similar)
• Familiarity with embedded Linux (boot process, systemd, device drivers, or Yocto/Buildroot)
• Experience with shell scripting and system automation
• BS in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or equivalent

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with ARM64 architecture or Graviton instances
• Experience with QEMU device emulation, QMP protocol, or custom QEMU plugins
• Experience writing device drivers or interacting with micro-controllers
• Experience with network virtualization (WireGuard, bridge networking, TAP/TUN interfaces)
• Familiarity with satellite systems, hardware test environments, or simulation platforms
• Experience with EC2 bare-metal instances and SSM for remote commanding
• Experience with AMI/image building pipelines (EC2 Image Builder, Packer)
• Familiarity with certificate provisioning, secure boot, or HSM interfaces
• Experience with Python packaging (pip, virtualenv) and container image management (ECR, Docker)
• Experience with Rust for systems programming

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, Redmond - 143,700.00 - 194,400.00 USD annually