Senior Software Development Engineer (Payload SW), STAR (System Test Automation and Regression) Amazon Leo is Amazon's low Earth orbit satellite network delivering fast, reliable internet connectivity to customers beyond the reach of existing networks. Behind every satellite in our constellation is a payload - the communication system that makes connectivity possible. Before a single satellite reaches orbit, its payload software must be validated, stressed, and proven through rigorous automated testing. We are hiring a Senior Software Development Engineer to lead the design and development of automation that validates payload software at scale. You will work at the intersection of satellite communication systems and software engineering, architecting frameworks that test how payload software manages signal routing, beam forming, frequency coordination, and network handoffs. This is not black-box button-pushing-you will develop deep expertise in how payload software operates, then drive the technical strategy for automated test systems that catch defects before they reach orbit. Our team builds the regression-testing automation that runs continuously as payload software evolves. Every code change, every configuration update, every firmware revision passes through the systems you architect. Your technical decisions directly gate satellite production and launch readiness. What Makes This Role Different You will not just write test scripts. You will understand what the payload software does-how it manages links, allocates capacity, handles interference, and recovers from faults-and use that understanding to architect automation that validates behavior across thousands of scenarios no human could execute manually. You will own the technical vision for how we scale regression testing as the constellation grows, and you will make the architectural decisions that determine whether we can sustain production velocity without sacrificing quality. 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 • Architect and drive development of automated test frameworks for satellite communication systems, focusing on end-to-end validation and system integration testing of payload software. • Develop deep expertise in payload software architecture-signal processing chains, protocol stacks, resource management, and fault handling-to define test strategies that exercise real operational scenarios at scale. • Lead technical roadmap definition efforts and decide what features and performance improvements to build. • Own CI/CD pipeline architecture that triggers automated regression suites on every payload software change, providing rapid feedback to development teams. • Collaborate with engineers across the organization (payload software, systems engineering, RF, operations) to gather requirements, define test strategies, and identify gaps in coverage. • Design and develop complex test sequences that coordinate and synchronize equipment and services across multiple layers to verify function and performance of satellite hardware and software. • Build scalable automation solutions that reduce manual testing effort and accelerate release cycles. • Define and implement system architectures for integrated test venues in collaboration with internal and external customers. • Create dashboards and monitoring tools for system health, test pass rates, and data pipeline integrity. • Analyze test results, identify systemic failure patterns, and drive architectural improvements to increase test coverage and reliability. • Mentor engineers on the team and establish best practices, coding standards, and design patterns. • Lead design reviews, code reviews, and technical discussions to raise the quality bar across the team. • Influence technical direction beyond the immediate team, driving alignment across dependent systems. A day in the life You start by reviewing a proposal from an engineer on your team for a new test design-you provide feedback on scalability concerns and suggest a pattern that will support the next three payload software releases without rework. You then lead a cross-team architecture review where payload software, systems engineering, and your team align on test coverage for an upcoming feature that changes beam allocation logic. After lunch, you dig into a systemic pattern you noticed in regression failures: a class of timing-dependent tests that pass individually but fail under load. You prototype a synchronization approach, validate it against the HIL environment, and write up the design for team review. Before end of day, you meet with your manager to discuss the Q3 roadmap-you recommend deprioritizing a dashboard feature in favor of investing in test parallelization that will cut regression cycle time by 40%. About the team The STAR (System Test Automation and Regression) team for payload test automation builds the regression-testing backbone for payload software. We own the frameworks, pipelines, and infrastructure that validate every payload software release before it reaches a satellite. We operate at the boundary between software engineering and satellite systems-our engineers understand both domains and bridge them through automation. BASIC QUALIFICATIONS - 5+ years of programming using a modern programming language such as Java, C++, or C#, including object-oriented design experience - 5+ years of leading design or architecture (design patterns, reliability and scaling) of new and existing systems experience - 5+ years of non-internship professional software development experience - 5+ years of programming with at least one software programming language experience - Experience as a mentor, tech lead or leading an engineering team - 3+ years of test automation frameworks and tools building experience PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS - 5+ years of full software development life cycle, including coding standards, code reviews, source control management, build processes, testing, and operations experience - Bachelor's degree in computer science or equivalent - Knowledge of professional software engineering & best practices for full software development life cycle, including coding standards, software architectures, code reviews, source control management, continuous deployments, testing, and operational excellence - Experience building data pipelines or automated ETL processes - Experience in communication theory, OFDM, MIMO, Digital/Wireless Communication Systems or RF engineering - 3+ months of distributed systems experience, or Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or equivalent - Experience collaborating and influencing multiple teams across multiple organizations - Experience developing and executing/delivering product and technical roadmaps influencing internal and external stakeholders - Knowledge of networking including the OSI model and how satellite payload communication systems operate - Experience with hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) test environments 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, CA, San Diego - 168,100.00 - 227,400.00 USD annually USA, CA, Sunnyvale - 193,300.00 - 261,500.00 USD annually USA, WA, Redmond - 168,100.00 - 227,400.00 USD annually