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 serves people and organizations operating in locations without reliable connectivity.

As a mechanical engineer within the propulsion team you will own the end-to-end lifecycle of propulsion hardware from first-principles concept through high-volume production and on-orbit operation. You will combine analytical rigor with build-and-test ownership to produce hardware that is lightweight, cost-effective, and performs consistently at scale. This is a hands-on role which requires collaboration across functional boundaries to develop thrusters, cathodes, and the mechanical hardware that interfaces directly with the plasma discharge environment.

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
- Own the complete lifecycle of one or more propulsion subsystems - thrusters, cathodes, fluidic feed systems, or power processing units - from conceptual design through qualification, high-volume production, and on-orbit performance monitoring
- Solve complex mechanical, thermal, magnetic, and fluid system problems on space-grade hardware, using first-principles analysis to drive design decisions and resolve ambiguity quickly
- Develop design criteria, collaborate on requirements, and lead system-level trade studies. Rapidly iterate on designs and analysis to inform high level trades and steer product development
- Produce complete design documentation - drawings, tolerance analyses, structural & thermal analyses, and test plans - at a level of detail that drives production without ambiguity
- Apply DFMA practices to minimize part counts, reduce fastener counts, optimize assembly sequences, and error-proof fabrication and integration steps for a high-rate production environment
- Plan and execute vacuum chamber tests, performance characterization, and environmental qualification to validate analytical models and demonstrate compliance
- Lead root cause investigations for hardware failures and non-conformances; owning corrective action through closure
- Work cross-functionally with experts in plasma physics, avionics, thermal, structures, and materials as an accountable technical partner across the full product lifecycle