Environmental Test Engineer, Amazon Leo
Amazon
- Location
- Onsite (Kirkland, Washington)
- Compensation
- $117k - $160k/yr
- Employment
- Full-time
- Level
- Mid Level
Posted 2 days ago
About the role
Amazon Leo is building a low Earth orbit satellite constellation to deliver broadband globally. The Environmental Test Engineer will own specific test equipment classes in the Space Simulation Lab, ensuring hardware qualification through thermal, vacuum, and vibration testing to support launch cadence.
Skills
Environmental testing
Thermal testing
TVAC
Vibration testing
Shock testing
HASS
LabVIEW
Python
Equipment maintenance
Root cause analysis
Technical troubleshooting
Process standardization
Vendor management
Control loops
Data analysis
Hardware development
Benefits
- Health insurance
- Dental
- Vision
- 401(k)
- Paid time off
- Parental leave
- Life insurance
Perks
- Restricted stock units
- Sign-on payments
Full job details
Amazon Leo is building a low Earth orbit satellite constellation to deliver fast, reliable broadband to customers and communities everywhere — including the places the internet has never reliably reached. Every satellite we launch is qualified in our Space Simulation Lab at SEA133. If flight hardware is going to survive launch, vacuum, thermal cycling, and years on orbit, it has to prove it to us first.
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.
As an Environmental Test Engineer on the SSL team, you won't be one of many engineers maintaining a shared pool of equipment. You'll be the primary owner of an entire class of test equipment — Thermal, TVAC, Vibe, Shock, or HASS — accountable for keeping it running, driving its reliability upward, and building the processes that let the lab test at launch cadence. When something goes wrong at 2 AM, your name is on the escalation. When something needs to change, you own the engineering decision and the vendor conversation. When a technician learns the equipment, they learn it from you.
This is a build job, not a maintain job. We're scaling SSL fast and we need an engineer who looks at tribal knowledge and turns it into standard work; who looks at a vendor's response time and decides it's not good enough; who can read a thermal ramp trace or a shaker response curve and tell you whether it's a tuning problem, a hardware problem, or a software problem. You will have autonomy, a direct line to leadership, and a tangible connection between the work you do this week and the hardware that leaves Earth next quarter.
If you want your engineering decisions to show up in orbit — not just in a dashboard — come build this with us.
Key job responsibilities
Equipment Ownership
• Serve as primary owner for an assigned class of environmental test equipment (Thermal, TVAC, Vibe, Shock, or HASS), managing configurations, maintenance, calibration, and improvement projects.
• Provide technical leadership during troubleshooting events, driving issues from first response through root cause and corrective action.
• Manage relationships with 3rd-party equipment vendors (service, spares, upgrades, escalations).
Process Development
• Establish standardized test processes and work instructions that enable technicians to operate with minimal engineer supervision.
• Train and mentor technicians on equipment operation and troubleshooting; keep documentation accurate and current.
Rate Improvement
• Analyze test data to validate ability of test procedures to meet requirements.
• Identify and lead projects that increase throughput, reduce cycle time, and improve first-pass yield.
Automation Troubleshooting
• Read and triage simple errors in LabVIEW and Python code execution; clearly articulate failures to support teams for more complex issues.
• Apply understanding of control loops used in environmental test (thermal ramp control, vacuum/pressure control, shaker control) to diagnose equipment behavior.
Basic Qualifications: - Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or an equivalent field
- Experience in complex work environments, including (but not limited to robotics, automation, diagnostic and test equipment)
- Experience troubleshooting and debugging technical systems, or experience that includes strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and effective communication abilities and experience with automation and any version control tools
- Knowledge of industry standard test automation tools and experience developing product test frameworks
- Experience in reliability/maintenance environments, or experience communicating technical concepts to non-technical audiences Preferred Qualifications: - Master's degree or above in engineering or equivalent
- 3+ years of hardware development, test lab, space/aerospace maintenance or hands-on engineering environment experience
- Experience reading and interpreting construction drawings and specifications, or experience leading technical teams through daily operations and maintenance evolutions
- Experience working with and managing third party vendors, or experience in planning, scheduling and auditing maintenance activities
- Experience leading cross-functional projects and implementing strategic initiatives
- Experience with Industrial control systems, both hardware and software
- 2+ years of supporting procedures for production or mission critical environments to include ticketing, monitoring/metrics, and troubleshooting technical issues experience
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.
USA, WA, Kirkland - 117,300.00 - 160,000.00 USD annually
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.
As an Environmental Test Engineer on the SSL team, you won't be one of many engineers maintaining a shared pool of equipment. You'll be the primary owner of an entire class of test equipment — Thermal, TVAC, Vibe, Shock, or HASS — accountable for keeping it running, driving its reliability upward, and building the processes that let the lab test at launch cadence. When something goes wrong at 2 AM, your name is on the escalation. When something needs to change, you own the engineering decision and the vendor conversation. When a technician learns the equipment, they learn it from you.
This is a build job, not a maintain job. We're scaling SSL fast and we need an engineer who looks at tribal knowledge and turns it into standard work; who looks at a vendor's response time and decides it's not good enough; who can read a thermal ramp trace or a shaker response curve and tell you whether it's a tuning problem, a hardware problem, or a software problem. You will have autonomy, a direct line to leadership, and a tangible connection between the work you do this week and the hardware that leaves Earth next quarter.
If you want your engineering decisions to show up in orbit — not just in a dashboard — come build this with us.
Key job responsibilities
Equipment Ownership
• Serve as primary owner for an assigned class of environmental test equipment (Thermal, TVAC, Vibe, Shock, or HASS), managing configurations, maintenance, calibration, and improvement projects.
• Provide technical leadership during troubleshooting events, driving issues from first response through root cause and corrective action.
• Manage relationships with 3rd-party equipment vendors (service, spares, upgrades, escalations).
Process Development
• Establish standardized test processes and work instructions that enable technicians to operate with minimal engineer supervision.
• Train and mentor technicians on equipment operation and troubleshooting; keep documentation accurate and current.
Rate Improvement
• Analyze test data to validate ability of test procedures to meet requirements.
• Identify and lead projects that increase throughput, reduce cycle time, and improve first-pass yield.
Automation Troubleshooting
• Read and triage simple errors in LabVIEW and Python code execution; clearly articulate failures to support teams for more complex issues.
• Apply understanding of control loops used in environmental test (thermal ramp control, vacuum/pressure control, shaker control) to diagnose equipment behavior.
Basic Qualifications: - Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or an equivalent field
- Experience in complex work environments, including (but not limited to robotics, automation, diagnostic and test equipment)
- Experience troubleshooting and debugging technical systems, or experience that includes strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and effective communication abilities and experience with automation and any version control tools
- Knowledge of industry standard test automation tools and experience developing product test frameworks
- Experience in reliability/maintenance environments, or experience communicating technical concepts to non-technical audiences Preferred Qualifications: - Master's degree or above in engineering or equivalent
- 3+ years of hardware development, test lab, space/aerospace maintenance or hands-on engineering environment experience
- Experience reading and interpreting construction drawings and specifications, or experience leading technical teams through daily operations and maintenance evolutions
- Experience working with and managing third party vendors, or experience in planning, scheduling and auditing maintenance activities
- Experience leading cross-functional projects and implementing strategic initiatives
- Experience with Industrial control systems, both hardware and software
- 2+ years of supporting procedures for production or mission critical environments to include ticketing, monitoring/metrics, and troubleshooting technical issues experience
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, Kirkland - 117,300.00 - 160,000.00 USD annually