Project Kuiper is an initiative to launch a constellation of Low Earth Orbit satellites that will provide low-latency, high-speed broadband connectivity to unserved and underserved communities around the world.

This is a broad scoped position regarding testing, integration, and characterization of mechanical systems supporting the project Kuiper mission. You will lead the charge to develop a scalable and reliable way of manufacturing, assembling, and integrating precision mechanisms and systems to the vehicle. You will also run trade studies and tests related to system design and material selection to ensure the mission success of current and future satellite designs. This role will require a thorough understanding of material testing for space environments, as well as a deep understanding of manufacturing processes.

Everyone on the team needs to be entrepreneurial, wear many hats, and work in a highly collaborative environment with many other teams. We will need to tackle difficult problems that span a wide variety of domains.

Key job responsibilities

• Identify and analyze requirements, conceive and develop trade studies on mechanism design options to enable design revisions and support DFX activities
• Address major product design risks in both function and manufacturability through test to deliver stable and complete design packages to production
• Support rapid product revision and development, investigating projects or products that represent large leaps in capability to enable high-level vehicle success
• Communicate fluidly across a variety of teams to identify product risks and how they will be addressed to ensure mission success
• Own new product qualification campaigns, pulling in external resources such as test, manufacturing, tooling, vendors, integration, and other design groups as required to deliver stable testing methods and products in volume production

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.

A day in the life
This role will be responsible for the heartbeat of new product development, and will be essential in the on-time delivery of hardware capable of achieving mission success. Team members will work with a broad scope and autonomy to fill any and all gaps between product concept and delivery. You will work within the mechanical design group to interface with many external groups and accelerate hardware development and test. You will own test campaigns to validate material selection and processes both for design verification and production scenarios. Tests will focus on minimizing design risks in function, reliability, supply, and manufacturing. You will become the subject matter expert for the systems you support, and will shepherd new and complex assemblies from the stages of early design to production stability.

About the team
This team is organized within the satellite mechanical design team to accelerate the design iteration process and ensure on-time delivery of the most stable and successful product possible. The tasks and daily focus change rapidly, and you will often take on new and exciting responsibilities as required to ensure project success. Expect to be deployed to complex problems that are driving the design, identify the scope of the issue, and quickly establish functional solutions able to be tested and integrated into the design. You’ll be constantly looking for ways to improve your product’s performance, quality and cost.

• Demonstrated ability to plan and drive test campaigns
• Demonstrated ability to apply critical thinking in complex situations
• Experience working in cross functional groups including mechanical engineering, EMI/EMC, thermal engineering, test, reliability, and failure analysis
• Experience with material testing for extreme environments
• Experience with composites and composite manufacturing techniques
• Experience supporting production development or bringing up new production areas
• Demonstrated ability to engage technology developers in the industry to track and apply emerging technologies to innovative mechanical designs

Amazon is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, or other legally protected status. For individuals with disabilities who would like to request an accommodation, please visit https://www.amazon.jobs/en/disability/us.

Our compensation reflects the cost of labor across several US geographic markets. The base pay for this position ranges from $93,900/year in our lowest geographic market up to $185,000/year in our highest geographic market. Pay is based on a number of factors including market location and may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Amazon is a total compensation company. Dependent on the position offered, equity, sign-on payments, and other forms of compensation may be provided as part of a total compensation package, in addition to a full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits. For more information, please visit https://www.aboutamazon.com/workplace/employee-benefits. Applicants should apply via our internal or external career site.