Controls Engineer, Amazon Leo Optical Inter-Satellite Link

About the role

Amazon Leo is Amazon's low Earth orbit satellite network. Our mission is to deliver fast, reliable broadband connectivity to customers beyond the reach of existing networks. From households to small businesses, schools, hospitals, and government agencies, Amazon Leo will serve communities and organizations operating in places without dependable internet access.

We are looking for a PAT Engineer to assist in the development, testing, and validation of pointing, acquisition, and tracking (PAT) systems for free-space optical links across the Amazon LEO satellite constellation. This role blends electrical engineering, opto-mechatronics, and controls knowledge to support the PAT team across FPGA verification, hardware integration and testing, and model-based design.

You will work closely with senior PAT engineers to execute test campaigns, maintain verification infrastructure, and help bridge the gap between algorithm models and hardware implementations. This is an on-site role.

The position sits within the OISL Electrical Engineering team, with workload focused on PAT/controls activities directed by the senior PAT engineer and also supporting the EE team on production RCAs, trade studies, and board-level design and bring-up. The split is flexible based on program phase and candidate strengths.

Day to day, you will work alongside senior PAT engineers and EE team members, contributing across multiple workstreams. A controls-focused background is ideal, with supporting knowledge in electrical engineering, mechanical systems, optics, or aerospace. The role requires comfort moving between flight data analysis, simulation, test infrastructure, and hardware debug depending on program needs.

Flexible hours may be needed during test campaigns, and occasional travel to integration/testing facilities is required. Over time, there is opportunity to grow ownership of specific PAT subsystems and take on more independent technical leadership within the PAT and EE domains.

Key job responsibilities Flight Data Analysis & Simulation Correlation * Analyze flight telemetry data and compare against simulation predictions - identify discrepancies, characterize on-orbit behavior, and support anomaly investigations * Run and maintain simulation environments to reproduce flight scenarios and validate model fidelity against observed data * Help narrow down root causes by correlating flight data trends with known model behaviors and hardware characteristics Production Failure Support & RCA * Support production and on-orbit failure investigations - review data, identify patterns, and help narrow down failure modes * Assist with electrical RCAs and help debug board-level issues * Contribute to failure analysis reports and corrective action documentation * Support production ramp activities requiring EE analysis and hardware troubleshooting FPGA Verification & Test Vector Development * Develop and maintain test vectors to verify PAT FPGA implementations against Simulink reference models * Run bit-accurate simulations, compare outputs, and flag discrepancies between model and FPGA behavior * Work with existing models of PAT control loops and state machines - run simulations, generate test cases, and validate behavior * Support model-in-the-loop (MIL), software-in-the-loop (SIL), and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) verification activities Electrical Engineering Support * Contribute to trade studies for data converter selection and signal chain architecture * Support board-level testing, characterization, and troubleshooting for analog and mixed-signal circuits * Assist with electrical design reviews * Support production ramps and RCAs from an electrical and controls perspective Documentation & Configuration Management * Document test procedures, results, RCA findings, and discrepancy investigations clearly * Help maintain version-controlled models, scripts, and test artifacts * Contribute to test reports, review materials, and configuration management records 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.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or equivalent - 3+ years experience in a hardware-adjacent controls, test, or systems engineering role - MATLAB/Simulink proficiency - comfortable running models, interpreting results, building test cases, and debugging issues - Experience with reading schematics and understanding digital/analog signal interfaces - Experience with control system fundamentals - feedback loops, transfer functions, stability concepts - Experience with working across disciplines - comfortable interfacing with EE, FPGA, and mechanical teams - Experience analyzing test or flight data to identify trends, anomalies, and correlations

Preferred Qualifications

• Data converter (ADC/DAC) electrical characteristics, architectures, and design tradeoffs (SNR, ENOB, linearity, settling time), including basic understanding of sampling theory, decimation/interpolation filters, and anti-aliasing as they relate to converter performance in closed-loop control systems - Analog and mixed-signal board-level design and troubleshooting best practices (power integrity, signal integrity, grounding) - Experience with production hardware debug and root cause analysis - Low-noise design techniques (grounding, shielding, power supply filtering) - Filter design basics (active/passive, analog/digital) - Digital interface protocols (SPI, I2C, LVDS, CAN, Ethernet) and use cases - Basic programming experience (Python, C, or scripting for test automation) - Awareness of radiation effects (SEU, TID) on semiconductor devices - Thermal considerations for space-qualified electronics - Experience in aerospace or defense environments - MATLAB/Simulink, Python, Git, lab instrumentation (oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, signal generators, spectrum analyzers), FPGA tools (Vivado/ModelSim), real-time platforms (Speedgoat/dSPACE), schematic capture and PCB CAD tools 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 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. USA, WA, Redmond - 136,000.00 - 184,000.00 USD annually