Amazon's Material Handling Engineering team is hiring a Senior Engineering Manager to lead a startup-style R&D team focused on defining and delivering the next generation of material handling equipment across our global distribution network. You will oversee mechanical, electrical and controls engineering, managing a team responsible for standardizing product specifications, assessing OEM capabilities, and when needed, leading the design, testing, and commercialization of Amazon-focused solutions.
As Sr. Manager, you will be a key leader for fast-moving, large, complex material handling systems. You will independently manage a team proficient in communicating effectively to a wide audience including other engineers, external vendors, customer organizations, and business leaders. You will establish mechanisms to measure and improve results and develop scalable solutions across the network.
Skills & Competencies:
- Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities
- Excellent technical documentation skills
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team
- Strong attention to detail and safety awareness
- Effective communication skills
- Ability to make data-driven decisions and trade-offs
- Proactive risk mitigation and issue resolution
- Strategic thinking and long-term planning
Leadership Expectations:
- Manage other managers and potentially reports in other locations
- Participate in high-level planning (OP1/OP2, 3-year plans, roadmaps)
- Influence team priorities and business strategy of an organization
- Lead through teaching and empowering others
- Foster a psychologically safe and inclusive culture
- Drive engagement and retention initiatives
- Develop succession plans and assess future skill needs
- Provide clear, timely, and consistent feedback to team members
- Manage challenging conversations with empathy
- Actively recruit and hire bar-raising talent
- Create mechanisms to build diverse teams
- Establish and improve processes for operational excellence
Key job responsibilities
- Build and lead a cross-functional R&D team (mechanical and electrical engineers and PMs)
- Define standardized equipment specifications for Amazon's global distribution network
- Engage OEMs to assess capability, negotiate alignment, and drive design-for-manufacture
- Design, prototype, test, and commercialize equipment when OEM solutions fall short
- Partner with global engineering, operations, procurement, and launch teams to roll out standardized technologies
- Navigate ambiguity, set direction, and deliver results independently
- Drive engineering excellence for complete system implementations
- Champion data-driven decision making and continuous improvement
- Provide strategic management and align teams to deliver for customers
- Establish mechanisms to evaluate scope and priority across projects
- Drive cost efficiencies and critical issue handling
- Create scalable long-term mechanisms for process improvement
- Manage significantly complex problems/efforts, decisions, and mitigate risks
- Lead by teaching others and fostering a culture of innovation- BS in Engineering or Business
- Experience in material handling, automation, or industrial product development
- Strong project/program management background (Agile, waterfall, or hybrid)
- 10+ years in product development, R&D, or systems engineering
- 5+ years leading cross-functional technical teams
- Experience leading full-stack automation projects from concept through implementation
- Experience developing technical requirements and product specifications
- Ability to thrive amid ambiguity, define clear goals, and execute with minimal oversight
- MS in Engineering or Business
- Experience in material handling, automation, or industrial product development
- Strong project/program management background (Agile, waterfall, or hybrid)
- Experience developing and executing multi-year technology roadmaps
- Demonstrated ability to influence senior stakeholders and build consensus across organizations
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.
Our compensation reflects the cost of labor across several US geographic markets. The base pay for this position ranges from $161,700/year in our lowest geographic market up to $279,600/year in our highest geographic market. Pay is based on a number of factors including market location and may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Amazon is a total compensation company. Dependent on the position offered, equity, sign-on payments, and other forms of compensation may be provided as part of a total compensation package, in addition to a full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits. For more information, please visit
https://www.aboutamazon.com/workplace/employee-benefits. This position will remain posted until filled. Applicants should apply via our internal or external career site.
