Senior Phased Array Antenna Verification Architect - Payload Architecture Team

Description

Amazon Leo is Amazon’s low Earth orbit satellite constellation initiative designed to bring fast, affordable broadband connectivity to unserved and underserved communities around the world. We are building a next-generation satellite system from the ground up — designing everything from the spacecraft and payload to the ground infrastructure and customer terminals. This is a rare opportunity to join a team that is shaping the future of global connectivity at scale.

We are looking for a Payload Verification Architect to join the Payload Architecture team in San Diego. You will be a key technical contributor to the verification and validation strategy across both of our satellite payload programs — a cellular-band phased array for direct-to-device connectivity and a Ka-band multi-beam phased array for broadband service.

You will derive verification requirements from the phased array architecture and work with both payload architects to ensure alignment between what is designed and what is tested. You will define what needs to be tested, how it will be tested, and what constitutes pass or fail.

You need to be well-versed in industry standard RF and communication system tests — blocker tests, ACLR, EVM, spurious emissions, intermodulation, sensitivity, selectivity, and conducted power measurements. You will contribute to conductive and over-the-air test systems, help plan aerospace qualification campaigns including thermal vacuum, vibration, shock, and radiation testing, and support production test infrastructure.

You will collaborate with payload architects, systems, HW design, communication systems, regulatory, silicon, antenna, calibration, thermal, power, mechanical, reliability, and production teams.

Beyond current programs, you will evaluate emerging test technologies to evolve the verification strategy for future satellite generations. This is a hands-on role — you will be in the lab, in the data, and on call. If you have experience testing complex RF systems and qualifying hardware for space, we want to hear from you.

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
● Work with payload architects to understand the phased array architecture and define what needs to be verified, how, and what constitutes pass or fail across both D2D and broadband programs
● Own the verification strategy tracing from high-level payload requirements through subsystem and component-level test plans
● Work with systems, HW design, antenna, silicon, and calibration teams to build verification plans covering the full operating envelope
● Define test methodology for standard RF and communication system tests: blocker, ACLR, EVM, spurious emissions, intermodulation, sensitivity, selectivity, and conducted power
● Contribute to conductive test infrastructure for element and module-level characterization
● Help architect over-the-air test systems for array-level beam pattern and performance verification
● Contribute to aerospace qualification campaign planning: thermal vacuum, vibration, shock, radiation, and life testing
● Support production test infrastructure with pass/fail criteria, yield analysis, and test time optimization
● Support verification of customer link performance through appropriate payload-level test methodology
● Support on-orbit verification including launch health checks, beam validation, and telemetry monitoring
● Evaluate emerging test technologies to evolve the verification strategy for future generations
● Support anomaly resolution and root-cause analysis — this role is hands-on and on-call

A day in the life
You split your time between current programs and next generation. On any given day you might review new requirements with payload architects and define how to verify them, run RF measurements, review qualification data, analyze blocker or EVM test results, or optimize production tests. You support customer link verification and work across HW design, antenna, silicon, and calibration teams to build verification plans covering the full operating envelope. Some weeks you evaluate new measurement techniques and define the verification roadmap. Other days you are in the lab debugging a marginal result or supporting an on-orbit anomaly investigation.

About the team
The Payload Architecture team is part of the Antenna organization at Amazon Leo. We are a small group of senior architects responsible for the phased array architecture across Amazon Leo’s satellite programs. We define the architecture, drive requirements, run trade studies, and make sure everything works from prototype through orbit. Our scope extends to customer link performance — working with systems and customer terminal teams to close end-to-end link budgets. We work closely with every engineering team on the payload and pride ourselves on being hands-on problem solvers. We are based in San Diego.

Basic Qualifications

- Master's degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or equivalent
- 5+ years of RF and Network test equipment associated with SATCOM communications experience
- Experience in test setup automation using MATLAB, Python, or Pearl
- Experience with RF lab equipment including VNA, power meters, spectrum analyzers, vector signal generators
- 7+ years of verification in communication systems experience
- 3+ years of RF and Network test equipment associated with SATCOM communications experience
- Experience with standard RF measurements including ACLR, EVM, blocker, spurious emissions, or intermodulation testing
- Experience in Phased Array system test methodology and over the air performance verification

Preferred Qualifications

- Experience in Space Vehicle/Satellite Operations, Space Communications or related industry
- PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Mathematics, or a related technical field
- Experience participating in or leading technical collaborations and creating alignment across diverse groups (e.g., hardware engineering, software engineering, program management)
- 10+ years of product validation (Shock/Drop, cycle testing, environmental testing) experience
- Experience with 3GPP conformance testing, NTN verification, or production test infrastructure

Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status.

Los Angeles County applicants: Job duties for this position include: work safely and cooperatively with other employees, supervisors, and staff; adhere to standards of excellence despite stressful conditions; communicate effectively and respectfully with employees, supervisors, and staff to ensure exceptional customer service; and follow all federal, state, and local laws and Company policies. Criminal history may have a direct, adverse, and negative relationship with some of the material job duties of this position. These include the duties and responsibilities listed above, as well as the abilities to adhere to company policies, exercise sound judgment, effectively manage stress and work safely and respectfully with others, exhibit trustworthiness and professionalism, and safeguard business operations and the Company’s reputation. Pursuant to the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

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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.