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# Senior Software Development Engineer (Payload SW), STAR (System Test Automation and Regression)

- **Company:** Amazon.com, Inc.
- **Location:** San Fernando, CA, United States
- **Experience:** Expert
- **Salary:** $168,100.0 - $227,400.0
- **Contract:** Internship / Graduate position
- **Skills:** Java (Programming Language), Systems Engineering, Automation of Tests, Beamforming, C Sharp (Programming Language), C++ (Programming Language), Code Coverage, Code Review, Computer Programming, Computer Engineering, Continuous Integration, Extract Transform Load (ETL), Software Design Patterns, Distributed Systems, Firmware, Monitoring of Systems, Hardware-In-The-Loop Simulation, OSI Models, Object-Oriented Software Development, Software Architecture, Regression Testing, Signal Processing, Software Engineering, Software Testing Automation Framework, System Integration Testing, System Testing, Test Scripts, Integration Tests, Information Technology, Build Process, Software Coding, Software Version Control, Data Pipelines, Programming Languages
- **Published:** June 9, 2026
- **Apply:** https://www.amazon.jobs/en/jobs/10443057/senior-software-development-engineer-payload-sw-star-system-test-automation-and-regression

## About the Role

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, 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

## Description

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., * 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.


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