Software Development Engineer II, Motor Control

Amazon is hiring a Software Development Engineer II, Motor Control in Seattle, United States. It pays $144k-$194k a year and Level rates it ; you can apply on Amazon.

Level's read on this job

Level rates this software engineer role Little AI ●○○○: aI is not part of the work.
Tools and skills the posting cites include CI/CD, embedded software and motor control.
Level classifies it as a mid-level role.
Level lists 21,000+ other open roles at Amazon.

AI in this role

Design and build safety-critical motor control and actuator firmware for advanced robotics systems.

ci-cd

embedded-softwaremotor-controlfirmwarecontrol-systemsfunctional-safety

Amazon is seeking exceptional talent to help develop the next generation of advanced robotics systems that will transform automation at Amazon's scale. We're building revolutionary robotic systems that combine cutting-edge AI, sophisticated control systems, and advanced electromechanical design to create adaptable automation solutions capable of working safely alongside humans in dynamic environments. This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of robotics and automation at an unprecedented scale, working with world-class teams pushing the boundaries of what's possible in robotic manipulation, locomotion, and human-robot interaction.

We are looking for a embedded software engineer to design and build the safety-critical motor control and actuator firmware at the heart of our robotic systems. In this role you will turn motion commands into precise, responsive, and provably safe behavior; designing real-time embedded software that meets functional safety standards while operating reliably on resource-constrained hardware. You will work hands-on across the full development lifecycle and collaborate closely with electrical, mechanical, systems, and safety engineers to deliver products from prototype through production deployment.

Key job responsibilities
Design, develop, and maintain real-time motor control and actuator firmware from early prototypes through production, ensuring high-quality, maintainable code that meets safety standards.

Develop, implement, and tune feedback control systems — including nested/hierarchical control loops, commutation, and current control that meet the timing, safety, and robustness requirements of production robotic systems.

Participate in functional safety activities including hazard analysis, FMEA/FMEDA, fault tree analysis (FTA), safety reviews, and support for internal audits and third-party safety assessments across the product lifecycle.

Build robust pipelines for encoder calibration, current and voltage sensing, filtering, and synchronization, and validate/debug custom motor controllers and sensors alongside electrical engineers during board bring-up.

Build and maintain hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) test automation and improve build systems, CI/CD pipelines, and developer tooling used across the team.

Collaborate cross-functionally with hardware, systems, manufacturing, and safety teams to integrate solutions end-to-end, and provide meaningful feedback in code reviews to raise software quality and maintainability

Basic qualifications

- 3+ years of non-internship professional software development experience
- 2+ years of non-internship design or architecture (design patterns, reliability and scaling) of new and existing systems experience
- Bachelor's degree or foreign equivalent in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or a related field
- Experience programming with at least one software programming language
- Working knowledge of motor control fundamentals, including feedback control loops, encoders, and current sensing.
- Familiarity with functional safety principles and the ability to translate safety requirements into software constraints.

Preferred qualifications

- 3+ years of full software development life cycle, including coding standards, code reviews, source control management, build processes, testing, and operations experience
- Master's degree in computer science or equivalent
- Experience with real-time operating systems (RTOS) such as QNX, and fluency across the RTOS/Linux boundary on multi-core MCU/CPU platforms.
- Experience with embedded communication interfaces such as CAN / CAN FD, EtherCAT, SPI, I2C, and RS-485.
- Strong understanding of motor control theory (e.g., field-oriented control / FOC) with hands-on implementation of calibration, filtering, and synchronization for robust feedback control.
- Practical application of functional safety standards such as IEC 61508 (industrial), ISO 13849 (machinery), IEC 62304, or ISO 26262 (automotive), including a track record of writing formally certified safety-critical code.
- Knowledge of embedded safety mechanisms including watchdogs, overcurrent protection, brownout detection, and thermal monitoring.

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 - 143,700.00 - 194,400.00 USD annually

How we rate this

Software Development Engineer II, Motor Control at Amazon rates 30 out of 100 for how much of the daily work is AI. That makes it Little AI (AI Level 1 of 4). The level is about AI in the job, not seniority.

Classification

Little AI. AI is not part of the work.

●●●● Builds AI80 to 100
●●●○ Works on AI60 to 79
●●○○ Uses AI40 to 59
●○○○ Little AI0 to 39

Levels come from how often the tools, models and workflows of the role are named in the posting itself. Read the description and count the AI tools, models and workflows it names.

Key facts

Software Development Engineer II, Motor Control is an open job at Amazon.
Level rates this role AI Level 1 of 4: Little AI.
The listed salary is $144k-$194k a year.
The role is based in US, WA, Seattle.
The job was posted on October 5, 2026.
Seniority: mid.
Applications are handled by Amazon. Apply on Amazon

Prepare for this job

Built from this posting and from similar jobs on Level.

Skills and AI tools this role asks for

Embedded SoftwareMotor ControlFirmwareControl SystemsFunctional SafetyCI/CD

Also common in software engineer jobs at this level

Python Java AWS C++Kubernetes TypeScript

Pay

This job starts at: $144k
Typical software engineer job: $167k

This posting starts 14% below the typical software engineer job. See software engineer jobs

Questions you could be asked

Tell me about a project where embedded software was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where motor control was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where firmware was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where control systems was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where functional safety was part of your work. What did you do?

Adapt your resume

List these exact terms on your resume: Embedded Software, Motor Control, Firmware, Control Systems, and Functional Safety. An applicant tracking system matches the wording, not the idea.
Attach one line of real, concrete experience to at least one of them. A tool named with nothing behind it rarely survives a human read.

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