Sr. Systems Development Engineer DO-178C Certification Lead (DER), Prime Air

Amazon Prime Air is seeking a Sr. Systems Development Engineer to serve as our internal DO-178C Designated Engineering Representative (DER) and certification process authority for the Drone Guidance Navigation & Controls (GNC) software team. This is an individual contributor role with organization-wide impact you will define the certification strategy build the DO-178C processes from the ground up and serve as the primary technical interface with the FAA and DERs for all software certification activities.
This role is uniquely dual-natured: you must be a seasoned software developer with hands-on embedded systems experience and a recognized expert in DO-178C certification processes. You will own the certification lifecycle end-to-end from establishing the Software Planning and Assurance processes that satisfy SOI-1 through executing and leading SOI-2 SOI-3 SOI-4 and Conformity Audits.
Your impact extends across all Software teams. You will define standards of engineering and certification excellence at the organization level influence Prime Airs broader airworthiness strategy and guide the career growth of senior technical talent across the program.


Key job responsibilities
Own DO-178C certification strategy for Prime Air software (specifically at DAL C and DAL D) defining the end-to-end software lifecycle approach from planning through Software Accomplishment Summary (SAS) and final certification
Develop and establish DO-178C processes that satisfy all planning objectives required for SOI-1 including authoring and owning the Plan for Software Aspects of Certification (PSAC) Software Development Plan (SDP) Software Verification Plan (SVP) Software Configuration Management Plan (SCMP) and Software Quality Assurance Plan (SQAP)
Lead all four Stages of Involvement (SOI) audits SOI-1 (Planning) SOI-2 (Development) SOI-3 (Verification/Test) and SOI-4 (Final) serving as the primary technical representative to the FAA or DER during each stage
Serve as Auditor for software certification activities making findings of compliance based on regulatory objectives laid out for Drone certification.
Define and enforce process rigor based on the DAL across the software lifecycle ensuring the correct number of objectives and independence requirements are satisfied for each DAL level per DO-178C
Establish software structural coverage standards defining tooling automation and reporting processes that demonstrate compliance to certification authorities.
Build and maintain requirements traceability infrastructure from system-level requirements through HLRs LLRs source code and test cases using tools such as Jama ensuring bidirectional traceability satisfies DO-178C objectives
Define tool qualification strategy under DO-330 for all software development and verification tools used in the DO-178C lifecycle including qualification level determination and Tool Qualification Plans (TQPs)
Mentor and develop senior engineers in DO-178C processes certification audit preparation and safety-critical software development practices guiding their career growth toward certification expertise
Influence organization-level technical strategy for airworthiness certification and safety-critical software development across Amazon Prime Air producing exemplary written artifacts that create alignment with technical and non-technical audiences at the VP level
Proactively identify and resolve certification risks across the software lifecycle escalating to leadership with clear mitigation plans and communicating certification status clearly to senior leadership and the FAA


- Bachelors degree or above in Electrical Engineering Computer Engineering Systems Engineering or related fields
- 5 years of designing and developing large-scale multi-tiered multi-threaded embedded or distributed software applications tools systems and services using: C# C Java or Perl experience or Masters degree in computer science or equivalent
- Experience communicating technical details verbally and in writing
- 5 years of direct hands-on DO-178C (or DO-178B) experience including authoring or owning software lifecycle data artifacts (PSAC SDP SVP SCMP SQAP SAS) at DAL C or higher
- Demonstrated experience developing DO-178C processes from scratch that satisfy SOI-1 planning objectives including establishing the software lifecycle process standards and compliance approach for a new program
- Demonstrated experience executing or leading DO-178C Stage of Involvement (SOI) audits specifically SOI-1 SOI-2 SOI-3 and SOI-4 as the primary technical representative
- Experience with DO-178C Conformity Audits including preparation of audit evidence packages and resolution of audit findings
- Deep knowledge of DO-178C objectives independence requirements and the distinction in rigor between levels

- Masters degree or above in engineering or equivalent
- Experience working in a fast-paced environment similar to a high-tech start-up
- Current or prior appointment as an FAA Designated Engineering Representative (DER) for software or demonstrated experience working directly with a DER in a company DER support role
- Experience achieving FAA type certification or amended type certificate (ATC) for a software-intensive airborne system including preparation and submission of the Software Accomplishment Summary (SAS)
- Experience with DO-178C DO-278A and DO-254 providing broader understanding of the full spectrum of certification rigor
- Familiarity with DO-330 tool qualification including authoring Tool Qualification Plans (TQPs) and Tool Operational Requirements (TORs)
- Experience with model-based design (e.g. Simulink/Stateflow with DO-178C qualified code generation) or formal methods as supplements to traditional DO-178C verification
- Experience with autonomous systems unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drone delivery systems
- Experience with ARP4754A system-level development processes and the interface between system safety assessment and software DAL assignment

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 for more information. If the country/region youre applying in isnt listed please contact your Recruiting Partner.

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 WA Seattle - 151200.00 - 204600.00 USD annually