AmazonSenior Software Development Engineer, AWS Config
Amazon is hiring a Senior Software Development Engineer, AWS Config in Arlington, United States. It pays $168k-$227k a year and Level rates it ; you can apply on Amazon.
Level's read on this job
- On Level's scale, this software engineer role is Little AI ●○○○: aI is not part of the work.
- The listed pay starts close to the typical software engineer posting on Level.
- Tools and skills the posting cites include AWS, distributed systems and cloud security.
- Level classifies it as a senior role.
- Level lists 20,000+ other open roles at Amazon.
AI in this role
Senior software development engineer owning architecture and technical direction for AWS Config compliance and security platforms.
AWS Config is how customers enforce security policies, detect misconfigurations, and maintain compliance with frameworks like PCI-DSS, HIPAA, and FedRAMP — both reactively and proactively, across entire AWS Organizations. Our platform continuously assesses millions of resources across thousands of accounts, aggregates compliance data at org scale, enables ad-hoc resource querying, and
automates remediation — powering compliance at scale for enterprises worldwide.
You'll own critical architecture end-to-end: defining the technical direction, leading the design of distributed systems in ambiguous problem spaces, and driving delivery across the team — all while operating at massive scale across every AWS Region.
Key job responsibilities
- Lead the design, implementation, and delivery of high-scale, highly available distributed services that power the AWS Config Compliance Reporting platforms
- Own team-level architecture decisions — define system boundaries, interfaces, and scaling strategies in complex problem spaces with visible risks, roadblocks, and constraints
- Decompose large efforts into parallel workstreams, enabling the team to deliver cohesively at speed
- Drive technical direction across the team and influence adjacent teams (Resource Explorer, Security Hub, Weirwood, Control Tower) when projects cross boundaries
- Improve platform scalability, reliability, and cost efficiency proactively — identifying problems before they become incidents
- Mentor and raise the bar for L4 and L5 engineers through design reviews, code reviews, and technical guidance
- Participate in on-call rotation, drive root cause analysis, and build lasting operational improvements
- Represent the team's technical perspective in roadmap discussions and contribute to multi-quarter planning
A day in the life
As an SDE III on the Config Reaction team, you'll define architecture for distributed systems that evaluate compliance and aggregate data at massive scale. On any given day, you might be writing a
design doc that decomposes a complex capability into parallel workstreams, leading a design review, resolving a scalability problem where constraints conflict, or aligning with engineers on adjacent teams.
You'll work closely with a dedicated Principal Engineer and operate with high autonomy — owning technical direction end-to-end.
About the team
The Config Reaction team owns the services that run on top of Config Recording and Config Rules — a platform used by enterprise customers managing millions of resources across thousands of accounts
and multiple regions. We build the systems that enable customers to continuously assess compliance, detect drift, and enforce security policy across their entire AWS environment.
Our team puts a high value on work-life balance. Striking a healthy balance between your personal and professional life is crucial to your happiness and success here, which is why we aren't focused on
how many hours you spend at work or online. Instead, we're happy to offer a flexible schedule so you can have a more productive and well-balanced life—both in and outside of work.
Basic qualifications
- 5+ years of non-internship professional software development experience
- 5+ years of programming with at least one software programming language experience
- 5+ years of leading design or architecture (design patterns, reliability and scaling) of new and existing systems experience
- Experience as a mentor, tech lead or leading an engineering team
Preferred qualifications
- 5+ years of full software development life cycle, including coding standards, code reviews, source control management, build processes, testing, and operations experience
- Bachelor's degree in computer science or equivalent
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, VA, Arlington - 168,100.00 - 227,400.00 USD annually
How we rate this
Senior Software Development Engineer, AWS Config 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.
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.
Prepare for this job
Built from this posting and from similar jobs on Level.
Skills and AI tools this role asks for
Also common in software engineer jobs at this level
Pay
- This job starts at
- $168k
- Typical software engineer job
- $167k
This posting starts close to the typical software engineer job. See software engineer jobs
Questions you could be asked
- Tell me about a project where distributed systems was part of your work. What did you do?
- Tell me about a project where cloud security was part of your work. What did you do?
- Tell me about a project where compliance was part of your work. What did you do?
- Tell me about a project where software architecture was part of your work. What did you do?
- Walk me through how you've used AWS in your day-to-day work.
Adapt your resume
- List these exact terms on your resume: Distributed Systems, Cloud Security, Compliance, Software Architecture, and AWS. 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.
Get your CV reviewed before you apply
Send your CV and the role you want next. Your review arrives by email within 3 days.
Get new software engineer jobs by email
One email a week, each job rated for how much AI is in the work. No recruiter spam, unsubscribe in one click.
Free.
Similar roles
Software Engineering roles that involve little AI, at other companies.
What kind of AI work fits you?
Answer 12 practical questions in about three minutes. Get a simple profile, the work it points to, and live roles to explore next.
Find my next step