Navigation Science Manager, Prime Air, Drone Delivery
Company websiteamazon.com (Amazon, opens in new tab)
Base salary $183,800 to $248,700
Employer-published annual base salary, USD. Advertised base range in Seattle, WA
You apply on the employer's own site. Six Figure Work does not handle applications.
- LocationSeattle, WA
- WorkplaceWorkplace not stated
- Status at last checkSource accepting applications when checked
- Last checked (1 h ago) · observed since
About this job
Amazon Prime Air is seeking an Applied Scientist Manager to lead the team developing our next-generation drone navigation system. You will lead a team of 8–12 Applied Scientists, Research Scientists and Software Development Engineers who invent, model, develop, test, and deploy the state estimation algorithms.
Your team will own the full algorithm lifecycle: early prototypes and modeling, simulation and hardware-in-the-loop testing, then flight test and deployment across a rapidly growing delivery network. You will also manage the feedback loop that brings real-world operational data back into the team to inform next generation of algorithm improvements.
Because our navigation software is safety-critical, you will work closely with the Controls, Perception, Safety, Simulation and Flight Test teams to deliver robust, fully verified algorithms.
This role combines deep technical leadership with people leadership. You will hire and develop science-focused engineers, run a fast-paced agile development team and help shape the technical roadmap for autonomous navigation at Prime Air.
Key job responsibilities
- Lead a team of 8–12 Applied Scientists, Research Scientists and Software Development Engineers developing novel navigation and state estimation algorithms, including Kalman filtering (EKF/UKF, error-state), tightly and loosely coupled GNSS/INS integration, multi-sensor fusion and observability analysis, integrity monitoring (RAIM, fault detection and exclusion), and visual navigation (VIO/VSLAM).
- Drive day-to-day execution across the full development lifecycle: prototyping, modeling, simulation testing, hardware-in-the-loop testing, flight test and deployment to the production fleet.
- Lead the team in a scrum-style agile process: set sprint priorities, manage dependencies and deliver against program milestones.
- Build mechanisms that capture operational learnings from our delivery network, such as flight data, anomalies and performance trends, and feed them into the requirements and design of each new generation of algorithms.
- Set technical direction and raise the bar on scientific rigor.
- Partner with Flight controls, Perception, Hardware, Safety, Simulation and Flight Operations teams to define interfaces, requirements and verification evidence.
- Hire, mentor and develop Applied Scientists, Research Scientists and SDEs, building a diverse, high-performing team with a strong safety culture.
- Communicate technical strategy, trade-offs, risks and results clearly in writing and in reviews with senior leadership.
Basic Qualifications
- PhD, or Master's degree and 6+ years of applied research experience
- Experience directly managing scientists or machine learning engineers
- Experience with the Scrum methodology (or similar alternatives) for agile software development
- Experience programming in C++, Python, or related language
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience communicating with users, other technical teams, and management to collect requirements, describe software product features, and technical designs
- Experience hiring and growing top talent
- Knowledge of engineering practices and patterns for the full software/hardware/networks development life cycle, including coding standards, code reviews, source control management, build processes, testing, certification, and livesite operations
- Proficient in navigation related algorithm development (EKF/UKF, tightly vs. loosely coupled GNSS/INS), sensor fusion, observability, and integrity monitoring (RAIM, fault detection and exclusion).
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 https://amazon.jobs/content/en/how-we-hire/accommodations for more information. If the country/region you’re applying in isn’t 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 https://amazon.jobs/en/benefits.
USA, WA, Seattle - 183,800.00 - 248,700.00 USD annually
Source: Amazon · View original posting (opens in new tab)
How this pay compares
Base floor $183,800. The employer's range is $64,900 wide, 35% of the floor. First observed today.
How Amazon pays
338 of Amazon's 4,078 live roles on this site list a higher base floor and 3,708 list a lower one. Across them the median floor is $143,700; the middle half runs from $131,500 to $159,300.
Base floors of Amazon's 4,078 live roles
Table
| Floor band | Share | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| $100K to $125K | 17.5% | 712 |
| $125K to $150K | 46.4% | 1,893 |
| $150K to $175K | 22.4% | 913 |
| $175K to $200K | 11.5% | 468 |
| $200K to $225K | 1.8% | 75 |
| $225K to $250K | 0.2% | 7 |
| $250K to $275K | 0.2% | 9 |
| $275K and up | <0.1% | 1 |
How this is calculated
- Statistic
- Employer base floor distribution
- Formula
- count of the employer's open roles in each $25K band of published base floor / its open roles
- Denominator
- 4,078 open public roles at this employer
- Sample size
- 4078
- Hidden when
- this employer has fewer than 5 roles
- Calculation version
- jobpage-analysis-v1
- Data as of
- current
- Employer set
- Open jobs on this site that publish a base salary of $100,000 or more
This listingNavigation Science Manager, Prime Air, Drone Delivery$183,800 to $248,700
Software Development Manager, Volume Metadata, EBS$184,900 to $250,200
Sr. Robotics Software Engineer, Fauna$184,900 to $250,200
Software Development Manager, Off-Amazon Selection$184,900 to $250,200
Software Development Manager, AWS Proactive Security / AWS Piezo, AWS Proactive Security - AWS Piezo$184,900 to $250,200
Sr. SDE, Agentic Systems, Technical Content Experience (TCX) Engineering$184,900 to $250,200
Software Development Manager, AWS Quick$184,900 to $250,200
Chart as a table
| Role | Published base |
|---|---|
| Navigation Science Manager, Prime Air, Drone Delivery (this listing) | $183,800 - $248,700 |
| Software Development Manager, Volume Metadata, EBS | $184,900 - $250,200 |
| Sr. Robotics Software Engineer, Fauna | $184,900 - $250,200 |
| Software Development Manager, Off-Amazon Selection | $184,900 - $250,200 |
| Software Development Manager, AWS Proactive Security / AWS Piezo, AWS Proactive Security - AWS Piezo | $184,900 - $250,200 |
| Sr. SDE, Agentic Systems, Technical Content Experience (TCX) Engineering | $184,900 - $250,200 |
| Software Development Manager, AWS Quick | $184,900 - $250,200 |
Observed changes
No changes to the pay or listing since we first observed this role on Nov 9, 2026 (today).
- First observed on the employer's board, already publishing a qualifying base salary
- Observed since
- Employer-stated posting date
- 2026-11-09
Where this pay comes from
Location as the employer wrote it: US, WA, Seattle
USA, WA, Seattle - 183,800.00 - 248,700.00 USD annually
- Method
- Employer text, read with fixed rules and re-verified
- Checked
- Rule set
- us-base-v2
The pay passage appears in the employer's own job text. Fixed, deterministic rules located it, and the passage below was checked against the stored copy of the posting.
What we verified
- The pay figures come from the employer's own listing, quoted exactly above.
- The pay is an annual base salary in US dollars with a minimum of at least $100,000.
- The role was publicly listed on the employer's job board when last checked.
We do not verify what the employer will actually offer, whether the employer is still recruiting for the role, or anything beyond what the employer published. Full methodology.