Mechanical Engineer, Propulsion

- Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, material science, physics or equivalent
- Advanced degree (Master’s or PhD) in mechanical or aerospace engineering, or related discipline
- Experience designing, building, and testing aerospace hardware
- Experience with GD&T and tolerance analysis on multi-component assemblies
- Experience with manufacturing processes (CNC, welding, castings, additive) and fundamentals of DFMA
- Experience with pressurized fluid component design or testing (valves, regulators, tubing)
- Familiarity with electric propulsion systems such as Hall effect thrusters or ion engines
- Proficiency with scripting (Python, MATLAB, or equivalent) for analysis and data visualization

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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. Learn more about our benefits at https://amazon.jobs/en/benefits.

USA, WA, REDMOND - 96,600.00 - 160,000.00 USD annually
Amazon Leo is Amazon’s low Earth orbit satellite network. Our mission is to deliver fast, reliable internet connectivity to customers beyond the reach of existing networks. From individual households to schools, hospitals, businesses, and government agencies, Amazon Leo serves people and organizations operating in locations without reliable connectivity.

As a Mechanical Engineer within the propulsion team you will sustain and improve propulsion hardware across high-volume production and on-orbit operation, designing upgrades, resolving anomalies, and driving hardware reliability at scale. You will combine analytical rigor with hands-on ownership to conduct root-cause investigations and design corrective solutions that keep hardware lightweight, cost-effective, and performing consistently at scale. This is a hands-on role which requires collaboration across functional boundaries to disposition non-conformances, design and release engineering changes, and maintain the structural, thermal-mechanical, fluid, and packaging hardware that underpins the propulsion system.

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.

Key job responsibilities
- Solve mechanical, thermal, structural, and fluid system problems on space-grade hardware using first-principles analysis to drive decisions
- Design and analyze hardware upgrades informed by production data, fleet telemetry, and failure trends
- Produce design documentation — drawings, tolerance analyses, and test plans — at a level of detail that drives qualification and production without ambiguity
- Design for structural and mechanical load environments — static strength, random vibration, shock, and thermal-mechanical extremes — ensuring hardware meets requirements without over-mass or over-constraint
- Support mechanical interface definition — load paths, bracket design, harness routing, fluid line support — in partnership with systems, avionics, thermal, and satellite structure teams
- Apply DFMA practices to reduce rework, improve first-pass yield, and simplify assembly sequences in a high-rate production environment
- Plan and execute tests to validate corrective actions, characterize failure modes, and confirm hardware meets requirements after design changes
- Perform root cause investigations for hardware failures and non-conformances; drive corrective action through closure
- Work cross-functionally with experts in plasma physics, avionics, thermal, structures, and materials across the full product lifecycle