Senior Software Development Engineer, EC2 Nitro Team

Amazon is hiring a Senior Software Development Engineer, EC2 Nitro Team in Santa Clara, United States. It pays $193k-$262k 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.
The listed pay starts 16% above the typical software engineer posting on Level.
Tools and skills the posting cites include C, Bash and Lua.
Level classifies it as a senior role.
Level lists 20,000+ other open roles at Amazon.

AI in this role

Develop low-level firmware and automated testing for Amazon EC2 Nitro hardware infrastructure and virtualization cards.

CBashLuaJavaScriptPython

embedded-systemsfirmwaretest-driven-developmentcloud-infrastructure

Interested in working on products that are disrupting the data center software industry and change on-demand cloud computing? Does solving hard technical challenges at scale appeal to you? Do you like working on products that are providing real value to many customers? If so, please join us as we grow our team responsible for developing pioneering cloud solutions. You’ll be working on state-of-the-art technology that drives innovation from startups through major enterprises.

Key job responsibilities
EC2 is looking for a Senior Software Development engineer to join the Nitro Firmware Team. This team owns the intersection between EC2 hardware and rest of the software stack in the Nitro card. Nitro Firmware Team owns infrastructure and mechanisms to integrate and update firmware for the different components in the fleet at a regular cadence. Key metric is to make sure software/firmware deployed to the EC2 fleet are functioning at scale with reduced failure and improved customer experience. This team is also responsible for development of tools and processes to measure firmware performance, qualification, monitoring and deployment across all EC2 platforms.

A day in the life
You will be involved in hands-on software development including software design reviews, implementation, code reviews, new platform enablement, automated test development and monitoring to make sure your code is working properly at scale. You will work closely with Principal engineers from EC2, silicon designers, hardware engineers, internal/external partners to develop robust and scalable mechanisms to update firmware across the fleet.

The ideal candidate is expected to have solid understanding of low-level embedded concepts with ability to code in C/C++. Ideal candidate must have strong background in Test-Driven Development and automated testing using scripting languages (Bash/Lua/JS/Python). Experience with version control systems, automated build processes and software unit testing are required.

About the team
On the Nitro Firmware team we value Customer Obsession and look for engineers who understand the challenges and responsibility of managing the world’s premiere cloud virtualization infrastructure. We’re looking for engineers who show Ownership and take pride in supporting major EC2 Customers across the tech landscape.

Our team is diverse! We drive towards an inclusive culture and work environment. We are intentional about attracting, developing, and retaining amazing talent from diverse backgrounds. Team members are active in Amazon’s 10+ affinity groups, sometimes known as employee resource groups, which bring employees together across businesses and locations around the world. These range from groups such as the Black Employee Network, Latinos at Amazon, Indigenous at Amazon, Families at Amazon, Amazon Women and Engineering, LGBTQ+, Warriors at Amazon (Military), Amazon People With Disabilities, and more.

We put a high value on work-life balance. We believe striking the right balance between your personal and professional life is critical to life-long happiness and fulfillment. We offer flexibility in working hours and encourage you to find your own balance between your work and personal lives.

Our team is dedicated to supporting new members. We have a broad mix of experience levels and tenures, and we’re building an environment that celebrates knowledge sharing and mentorship. Our senior members enjoy one-on-one mentoring and thorough, but kind, code reviews. We care about your career growth and strive to assign projects based on what will help each team member develop into a better-rounded engineer and enable them to take on more complex tasks in the future.

Basic qualifications

- 6+ years of non-internship professional software development experience
- 6+ years of programming with at least one software programming language experience
- 4+ 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
- Bachelor's degree in computer science or equivalent

Preferred qualifications

- 5+ years of full software development life cycle, including coding standards, code reviews, source control management, build processes, testing, and operations experience
- 8+ years of programming with at least one software programming language experience
- 6+ years of leading design or architecture (design patterns, reliability and scaling) of new and existing systems experience
- Master'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.

Los Angeles County applicants: Job duties for this position include: work safely and cooperatively with other employees, supervisors, and staff; adhere to standards of excellence despite stressful conditions; communicate effectively and respectfully with employees, supervisors, and staff to ensure exceptional customer service; and follow all federal, state, and local laws and Company policies. Criminal history may have a direct, adverse, and negative relationship with some of the material job duties of this position. These include the duties and responsibilities listed above, as well as the abilities to adhere to company policies, exercise sound judgment, effectively manage stress and work safely and respectfully with others, exhibit trustworthiness and professionalism, and safeguard business operations and the Company’s reputation. Pursuant to the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

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, CA, SANTA CLARA - 193,300.00 - 261,500.00 USD annually

How we rate this

Senior Software Development Engineer, EC2 Nitro Team 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

Senior Software Development Engineer, EC2 Nitro Team is an open job at Amazon.
Level rates this role AI Level 1 of 4: Little AI.
The listed salary is $193k-$262k a year.
The role is based in US, CA, Santa Clara.
The job was posted on September 22, 2026.
Seniority: senior.
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 SystemsFirmwareTest Driven DevelopmentCloud InfrastructureCBashLuaJavaScript

Also common in software engineer jobs at this level

Java AWS Kubernetes TypeScript React Docker

Pay

This job starts at: $193k
Typical software engineer job: $167k

This posting starts 16% above the typical software engineer job. See software engineer jobs

Questions you could be asked

Tell me about a project where embedded systems 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 test driven development was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where cloud infrastructure 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: Embedded Systems, Firmware, Test Driven Development, Cloud Infrastructure, 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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