Systems Development Manager, Prime Air

Job Description:

Here at Amazon, we embrace our differences. We are committed to furthering our culture of diversity and inclusion of our teams within the organization.
How do you get items to customers quickly, cost-effectively, and—most importantly—safely, in less than an hour? And how do you do it in a way that can scale? Our teams of hundreds of scientists, engineers, aerospace professionals, and futurists have been working hard to do just that! We are delivering to customers, and are excited for what’s to come. Check out more information about Prime Air on the About Amazon blog (https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/transportation/amazon-prime-air-delivery-drone-reveal-photos).

If you are seeking an iterative environment where you can drive innovation, apply state-of-the-art technologies to solve real world delivery challenges, and provide benefits to customers, Prime Air is the place for you.

Come work on the Amazon Prime Air Team!

Prime Air is seeking a Lead Systems Development Engineer to drive strategic automation initiatives and lead a team of engineers in transforming manual workflows into efficient, reliable, and scalable automated systems. This senior role combines technical expertise with team leadership to establish best practices, mentor junior engineers, and architect solutions that enhance operational excellence.

This role requires a combination of technical excellence, leadership ability, and strategic thinking to drive automation initiatives while developing and managing a high-performing team. The successful candidate will balance hands-on technical work with people management responsibilities to deliver scalable solutions that enhance operational efficiency across Prime Airs systems.

Export Control License: This position may require a deemed export control license for compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Placement is contingent on Amazon’s ability to apply for and obtain an export control license on your behalf.

Key job responsibilities
• Lead and mentor a team of Systems Development Engineers, providing technical guidance, code reviews, and career development support
• Establish technical vision and roadmap for automation initiatives across multiple teams
• Drive architectural decisions and establish best practices for automation development and testing
• Partner with stakeholders to identify high-impact automation opportunities and define success metrics
• Oversee the design and implementation of complex automation solutions while ensuring maintainability and scalability
• Manage project planning, resource allocation, and cross-team dependencies
• Foster a culture of innovation, knowledge sharing, and continuous improvement
• Collaborate with other engineering leaders to align automation strategy with broader organizational goals
• Lead technical design reviews and provide strategic input on technology choices
• Balance team workload and manage delivery timelines while maintaining high quality standards

Job Requirements:

- 5+ years of experience in systems development or automation engineering
- 2+ years of technical team leadership or management experience
- Strong proficiency in multiple scripting languages (e.g., Python, Bash)
- Proven track record of delivering large-scale automation projects
- Experience with architectural design patterns and system scalability
- Strong communication skills and ability to influence cross-functional teams
- Experience with agile methodologies and project management
- Track record of mentoring and developing engineering talent- Experience leading distributed engineering teams
- Strong background in systems architecture and infrastructure design
- Experience with hardware or embedded systems test infrastructure
- Track record of implementing and scaling CI/CD pipelines
- Experience with budgeting and resource planning
- Master's degree in Computer Science or related field
- Previous experience in aerospace or safety-critical systems
- Certification in project management (PMP, CSM, etc.)

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.

Our compensation reflects the cost of labor across several US geographic spanets. The base pay for this position ranges from $149,700/year in our lowest geographic spanet up to $258,800/year in our highest geographic spanet. Pay is based on a number of factors including spanet location and may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Amazon is a total compensation company. Dependent on the position offered, equity, sign-on payments, and other forms of compensation may be provided as part of a total compensation package, in addition to a full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits. For more information, please visit https://www.aboutamazon.com/workplace/employee-benefits. This position will remain posted until filled. Applicants should apply via our internal or external career site.

Job Ident #: 3061327

Company Details

Amazon Prime Air

.
Seattle, Washington . USA
www.amazon.jobs/en/teams/airplanes

It’s always Day One at Amazon and today is no different with our middle mile transportation network. We view transportation not as just airplanes but the glue that connects a customer to their order from the moment they click buy on Amazon.com to the...

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Job Info

Location

Seattle, Washington, United States

Type

Permanent

Company Details

Amazon Prime Air

.
Seattle, Washington . USA
www.amazon.jobs/en/teams/airplanes