Software Development Manager, Drone Guidance, Navigation & Controls-, Prime Air

Amazon • Seattle, WA

1d

About The Position

Amazon Prime Air is building a future where drones safely and efficiently deliver packages to customers in 30 minutes or less. Our teams are pushing the boundaries of aerospace engineering, autonomy, and software development to make this vision a reality. We operate at the intersection of technology and rigorous safety standards — and we're just getting started. About the Role Amazon Prime Air is seeking a Sr. Software Development Manager to lead and grow the Drone Guidance, Navigation & Controls (GNC) software team. This is a unique opportunity to build a world-class engineering team from the ground up, establishing the software development processes and certification frameworks that will define how Prime Air develops safety-critical drone software for years to come. As the SDM for the GNC software team, you will own the development of embedded software applications and firmware for Prime Air's autonomous delivery drone. You will be responsible for standing up a rigorous, DO-178C-compliant software development process while simultaneously driving innovation in software verification and validation — including the use of AI-powered tooling to achieve and demonstrate 100% software test coverage. In your first year, you will hire and develop a high-performing team of 8–10 Software Development Engineers (SDEs) and Systems Development Engineers (SySDEs), establish end-to-end DO-178C compliance processes, and complete a full certification cycle building upon the existing drone on-vehicle software baseline. This role requires a leader who is equally comfortable in the technical weeds of real-time embedded systems and in the strategic space of process design, team building, and cross-functional collaboration with hardware, systems engineering, and flight operations teams.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or foreign equivalent in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or a related field
• 5+ years of designing or architecting (design patterns, reliability and scaling) of new and existing systems experience
• 5+ years of providing technical leadership and project management for all aspects of the software development lifecycle experience
• Experience in embedded development in C/C++, or experience with full software development life cycle, including coding standards, code reviews, source control management, build processes, testing, and operations
• Experience in communicating with users, other technical teams, and senior leadership to collect requirements, describe software product features, technical designs, and product strategy
• Experience in recruiting, hiring, mentoring/coaching and managing teams of Software Engineers to improve their skills, and make them more effective, product software engineers
• Experience developing software to aerospace standards, specifically DO-178C (Design Assurance Level A, B, or C)
• Familiarity with aerospace certification processes, including interaction with the FAA or other civil aviation authorities
• Experience with real-time operating systems (RTOS) and embedded software development for flight-critical or autonomous vehicle systems

Nice To Haves

• Master's degree or higher in a relevant engineering discipline

Responsibilities

• Build and lead a team of 8–10 SDEs and SySDEs focused on embedded software application development for Prime Air's autonomous delivery drone
• Establish and own a DO-178C-compliant software development lifecycle, including requirements management, design, implementation, verification, and configuration management processes
• Drive innovation in software verification and test coverage, leveraging AI-powered tools and automation to achieve and demonstrate 100% software test coverage
• Complete a full certification cycle in the first year, building upon the existing on-vehicle software baseline and working toward airworthiness objectives
• Partner cross-functionally with hardware engineering, systems engineering, flight operations, and safety teams to define software requirements and ensure system-level integration
• Recruit, develop, and retain top engineering talent; build a culture of technical excellence, ownership, and continuous improvement
• Define and track engineering metrics, project milestones, and delivery commitments; proactively identify and mitigate risks
• Influence the broader Prime Air engineering organization on software development standards, tooling, and best practices for safety-critical systems
• Communicate clearly with senior leadership on team progress, technical strategy, and certification status

Benefits

• 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
• parental leave

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager