Job Information
Amazon Applied Scientist - Kuiper, Kuiper Constellation Management in Redmond, Washington
Description
Project Kuiper is an initiative to increase global broadband access through a constellation of 3,236 satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO). Its mission is to bring fast, affordable broadband to unserved and underserved communities around the world. Project Kuiper will help close the digital divide by delivering fast, affordable broadband to a wide range of customers, including consumers, businesses, government agencies, and other organizations operating in places without reliable connectivity.
As an Applied Scientist on the team you will responsible for building out and maintaining the algorithms and software services behind one of the world’s largest satellite constellations. You will be responsible for developing algorithms and applications that provide mission critical information derived from past and predicted satellite orbits to other systems and organizations rapidly, reliably, and at scale.
You will be focused on contributing to the design and analysis of software systems responsible across a broad range of areas required for automated management of the Kuiper constellation. You will apply knowledge of mathematical modeling, optimization algorithms, astrodynamics, state estimation, space systems, and software engineering across a wide variety of problems to enable space operations at an unprecedented scale. You will develop features for systems to interface with internal and external teams, predict and plan communication opportunities, manage satellite orbits determination and prediction systems, develop analysis and infrastructure to monitor and support systems performance. Your work will interface with various subsystems within Project Kuiper and Amazon, as well as with external organizations, to enable engineers to safely and efficiently manage the satellite constellation.
The ideal candidate will be detail oriented, strong organizational skills, able to work independently, juggle multiple tasks at once, and maintain professionalism under pressure. You should have proven knowledge of mathematical modeling and optimization along with strong software engineering skills. You should be able to independently understand customer requirements, and use data-driven approaches to identify possible solutions, select the best approach, and deliver high-quality applications.
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.
About the team
The Constellation Management & Space Safety team maintains and builds the software services responsible for maintaining situational awareness of Kuiper satellites through their entire lifecycle in space. We coordinate with internal and external organizations to maintain the nominal operational state of the constellation. We build automated systems that use satellite telemetry and other relevant data to predict future orbits, plan maneuvers to avoid high risk close approaches with other objects in space, keep satellites in the desired locations, and exchange data with external organizations. We provide visibility information that is used to predict and establish communication channels for Kuiper satellites.
We are open to hiring candidates to work out of one of the following locations:
Redmond, WA, USA
Basic Qualifications
PhD, or Master's degree and 2+ years of science, technology, engineering or related field experience
2+ years of programming in Java, C++, Python or related language experience
Experience in any of the following areas: algorithms and data structures, parsing, numerical optimization, data mining, parallel and distributed computing, high-performance computing
Preferred Qualifications
Familiarity with astrodynamics and satellite guidance, navigation, and control
Knowledge of at least one mathematical optimization field such as convex optimization, integer programming, or dynamic programming
Familiarity of state estimation techniques such as Kalman Filtering or Least-Squares Estimation
Strong communications skills, ability to work collaboratively in a team environment, and enjoyment of learning and teaching new skills
Experience with cloud services and cloud native software development
History of delivering and operating software in a production environment
Experience developing for and working with satellite or space systems
Amazon is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, or other legally protected status. For individuals with disabilities who would like to request an accommodation, please visit https://www.amazon.jobs/en/disability/us.
Our compensation reflects the cost of labor across several US geographic markets. The base pay for this position ranges from $136,000/year in our lowest geographic market up to $222,200/year in our highest geographic market. Pay is based on a number of factors including market 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.