Principal Engineer, Nitro System, EC2

Amazon is hiring a Principal Engineer, Nitro System, EC2 in Berlin, Germany. Level rates it ; you can apply on Amazon.

Level's read on this job

Little AI ●○○○ is how Level rates this role: aI is not part of the work.
Tools and skills the posting cites include C, Linux and virtualization.
Level classifies it as a lead role.
Level lists 20,000+ other open roles at Amazon.

AI in this role

Architect the future of EC2 virtualization, leading technical strategy for the Nitro Hypervisor and core cloud platforms.

CLinux

virtualizationhypervisorfirmwarekernel-development

EC2 is seeking an experienced Principal Engineer to drive technical excellence across our Nitro System organization. You will architect the future of EC2 virtualization, leading innovation in the Nitro Hypervisor, Instance Features including Nitro Enclaves and Confidential Computing, Nitro Card virtualization components, and the engineering of new EC2 Core Platforms—directly impacting millions of customers running workloads on AWS.

As a Principal Engineer, you will shape the technical strategy for one of the most critical systems in cloud computing, working at the intersection of hardware and software to deliver near bare-metal performance with industry-leading security. This role offers the opportunity to influence the architecture of systems processing billions of customer requests daily while mentoring engineers and driving cross-organizational technical decisions.

Key job responsibilities
- Define and drive the technical roadmap for Nitro Hypervisor, Nitro Card components, and EC2 Core Platform engineering across multiple quarters
- Architect and implement Nitro Hypervisor features supporting new instance families across Intel, AMD, and Graviton processors
- Lead development of Nitro Card firmware bundles and system services running on virtualization hardware
- Participate in end-to-end technical delivery for new EC2 Core Platform bring-up, from hardware specifications through production deployment
- Design and deliver confidential computing capabilities including Nitro Enclaves, memory encryption, and cryptographic attestation
- Lead deep-dive investigations for complex production issues spanning hypervisor, firmware, hardware, and control plane interactions
- Mentor and grow engineers across multiple teams through code reviews, design reviews, and hands-on technical guidance
- Drive kernel upgrades to latest LTS versions while maintaining backward compatibility and minimizing downstream patch footprint
- Design qualification processes for new platforms ensuring high reliability and minimal annual failure rates
- Participate in on-call rotation providing expert-level support for production systems and drive operational excellence initiatives

A day in the life
As a Principal Engineer in the EC2 Nitro System organization, you will oversee multiple projects collaborating with internal and external organizations. Projects range from designing and launching next generation EC2 Core Platforms to building Nitro Hypervisor features, Nitro Card components, and confidential computing capabilities. You'll participate in day-to-day development, debugging, and release management to deliver customer value. Your work spans collaboration across time zones, including the US West Coast, engaging with Nitro Firmware, Launch, hardware engineering, control plane, and service teams. You'll balance hands-on technical work with strategic leadership through architecture reviews and mentorship.

About the team
The EC2 team builds the foundation of modern cloud computing, delivering the Nitro System that powers millions of instances globally. Our mission is providing customers with near bare-metal performance while maintaining industry-leading security. You'll collaborate with engineers across firmware, hardware, control plane, and service teams to solve complex problems at the hardware-software intersection—from hypervisor optimizations to confidential computing features protecting customer workloads. Based in Berlin, we're a global team that values technical excellence, continuous learning, and sustainable engineering practices. You'll help customers run their most critical workloads securely and efficiently.

Basic qualifications

- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field, or equivalent experience
- Experience in professional software development building scalable production systems
- Experience with systems programming in C/C++ or similar low-level languages
- Experience with systems software, embedded systems or distributed systems
- Experience leading technical initiatives across multiple teams
- Proficiency in software engineering practices for the full software development life cycle, including coding standards, code reviews, source control management, build processes, testing, and operations
- Experience communicating with peers, technical teams, and senior management to collect requirements and describe technical designs
- Openness to leveraging AI tools and technologies to enhance productivity and technical problem-solving

Preferred qualifications

- Master's degree or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field
- Experience with firmware development (BIOS, UEFI, embedded systems)
- Background in hardware-software co-design or platform engineering
- Experience with high-performance computing, real-time systems, or bare-metal optimization
- Strong verbal and written communication skills with ability to present complex technical information clearly to diverse audiences
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with ability to navigate ambiguity
- Experience mentoring engineers and providing technical leadership across organizations
- Track record of delivering complex, cross-functional projects from concept to production

Amazon is an equal opportunities employer. We believe passionately that employing a diverse workforce is central to our success. We make recruiting decisions based on your experience and skills. We value your passion to discover, invent, simplify and build. Protecting your privacy and the security of your data is a longstanding top priority for Amazon. Please consult our Privacy Notice (https://www.amazon.jobs/en/privacy_page) to know more about how we collect, use and transfer the personal data of our candidates.

m/w/d

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.

How we rate this

Principal Engineer, Nitro System, EC2 at Amazon rates 0 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

Principal Engineer, Nitro System, EC2 is an open job at Amazon.
Level rates this role AI Level 1 of 4: Little AI.
The role is based in DE, BE, Berlin.
The job was posted on April 22, 2026.
Seniority: lead.
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

VirtualizationHypervisorFirmwareKernel DevelopmentCLinux

Questions you could be asked

Tell me about a project where virtualization was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where hypervisor 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 kernel development was part of your work. What did you do?
Walk me through how you've used C in your day-to-day work.

Adapt your resume

List these exact terms on your resume: Virtualization, Hypervisor, Firmware, Kernel Development, and C. 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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