Senior Manager, Change & Configuration Management Amazon Leo, D2D Software

Amazon Leo is building a low Earth orbit satellite constellation to bring fast, affordable connectivity to customers around the world. Direct to Device (D2D) extends Leo to standard mobile phones and devices: a fully regenerative fifth-generation (5G) mobile base station on each satellite, delivering service to standard handsets through mobile network operators (MNOs). D2D Software builds the embedded software that flies, the cloud and ground software that runs the service, and the platform that connects them. Our target is under a day from a defect being found to the fix deployed across the entire constellation, achieved by automating everything that a person would otherwise do by hand.

Amazon Leo is building a low Earth orbit satellite constellation to bring fast, affordable connectivity to customers around the world. Direct to Device (D2D) extends Leo to standard mobile phones and devices: a fully regenerative fifth-generation (5G) mobile base station on each satellite, delivering service to standard handsets through mobile network operators (MNOs). D2D Software builds the embedded software that flies, the cloud and ground software that runs the service, and the platform that connects them. Our target is under a day from a defect being found to the fix deployed across the entire constellation, achieved by automating everything that a person would otherwise do by hand.

This role leads change and configuration management in Software Delivery & Business Ops, reporting to the Director, Software Delivery & Business Ops. It owns the change control board, traceability, configuration and baselines, the decision log, and supplier delivery for lifecycle tools; the lead is the technical program manager for Software Architecture & Specifications. Before anything is handed on, the bar is: every baseline change through the board. It hands off to its customers as follows: board decisions to all teams.

What the team needs to achieve

• Every baseline change through the board.
• Hand-offs that meet their service level: board decisions to all teams.
• Measured, rising capability and efficiency of the team, with manual work falling release over release.

How the team is measured

• Every baseline change through the board, with impact analysis.
• Time from change request to decision.
• Changes that reach manufacturing without board approval: none.

Key job responsibilities

• Own the change control board, traceability, configuration and baselines, the decision log, and supplier delivery for lifecycle tools; the lead is the technical program manager for Software Architecture & Specifications.
• Meet the bar before every hand-off: every baseline change through the board.
• Work directly with engineers in the boundary teams as partners, through agreed contracts and service levels.
• Automate everything a person would otherwise do twice.
• Hire, coach, and grow a small team, with clear expectations and career development for every member.
• Set the strategy and mechanisms for this area across the organization, and remove the bottlenecks that slow teams down.
• Own supplier delivery for this area: schedules, service levels, and escalation.
• Identify and mitigate risks before they become roadblocks, and escalate serious risks to senior leaders early.

This role leads a small team that runs change and configuration management for the whole of D2D Software: the change control board, requirements traceability, the configuration and baselines for requirements, interfaces, timing, resources, and schedule, the decision log, and supplier delivery for the requirements and lifecycle tools. The leader is also the program manager for Software Architecture & Specifications. It matters because every team depends on stable, agreed baselines, and a change to one ripples through embedded satellite software, ground services, and suppliers. Without it, baselines move without impact analysis, teams build against different versions of the truth, and late changes reach manufacturing.

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

D2D Software is an evolving organization of many teams: Software Architecture & Specifications; Software Delivery & Business Ops; Software Integration, Verification & Reliability; DevOps & Release; Satellite Software Development; Ground Software Development; and Customer Software Engineering & Support. Each Director owns business outcomes: delivering the commitments, and the capability and efficiency of their teams. Teams work as internal customers and suppliers with agreed service levels, interfaces are agreed centrally while designs stay local, and engineers are expected to work directly with engineers across every boundary. Milestones are committed deadlines for delivery with quality, not gates to wait on, and every team runs on one toolchain and one system of record. Every measure is derived from the systems of record, never self-reported, and we improve release over release with a target of perfection.