Software Development Engineer, Amazon Demand Side Platform

Amazon is hiring a Software Development Engineer, Amazon Demand Side Platform in Arlington, United States. It pays $144k-$194k 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.
Tools and skills the posting cites include software development, distributed systems and ad serving.
Level classifies it as a mid-level role.
Level lists 20,000+ other open roles at Amazon.

AI in this role

Software Development Engineer needed to design, develop, and optimize high-performance real-time ad-serving systems at scale.

software-developmentdistributed-systemsad-servingscalabilitylow-latency

As a Software Development Engineer within Cinder org, you will (a) drive the design, development, and continuous improvement of our ad-serving systems via your own contribution and experimentation, and (b) invent and deliver initiatives to simplify our systems, reduce the unit cost to serve, and improve reliability.

The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of delivering results on an ad exchange at scale, be detail-oriented, data-driven, and possess strong analytical and problem-solving skills. You must be able to thrive and succeed in a fast-moving environment with abundant ambiguity and competing priorities. You will have technical curiosity, drive for results, and at the same time embody ownership at the business level and contribute to product development. You will work closely with a talented team of software engineers, to innovate solutions to decrease the overall maintenance and operational overhead of our software systems. You will effortlessly collaborate across large teams, navigating ambiguous situations, and be customer-obsessed. You will also have an opportunity to learn new technologies and develop well-rounded skills to grow your career to a senior software development engineer.

Key job responsibilities
As an engineer in the Cinder org, you will:
- Solve complex, interesting problems to optimize the real-time ad serving flow and deliver impact for our customers
- Develop and maintain ad serving and supporting systems that serve multi-format ads at multi-million TPS scale while keeping costs optimal
- Own and drive your projects end to end
- Partner with other teams to guide them toward the right technical solutions
- Maintain a high technical bar for the team
- Collaborate with teammates to improve the overall ad serving ecosystem

About the team
The Cinder org builds and operates a high-performance (~2.5M peak TPS), low-latency service that fulfills all Amazon DSP demand across multiple ad formats. The system processes hundreds of billions of requests annually while maintaining millisecond-level response latencies and meeting strict SLA requirements.

The Cinder bidder delivers ad opportunities from Amazon-owned properties and external publishers in an efficient, scalable, and privacy-centric manner.

As a member of the Cinder org, you'll have ample opportunities to take on leadership roles, make a meaningful impact on Amazon DSP, and grow your career.

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
- 1+ years of software development engineer or related occupational experience
- 1+ years of designing and developing large-scale, multi-tiered, multi-threaded, embedded or distributed software applications, tools, systems, and services using: C#, C++, Java, or Perl experience
- 1+ years of Object Oriented Design 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

Preferred qualifications

- Experience building complex software systems that have been successfully delivered to customers
- Experience designing, building, operating, and managing large-scale distributed systems or web services

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 - 143,700.00 - 194,400.00 USD annually

How we rate this

Software Development Engineer, Amazon Demand Side Platform 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

Software Development Engineer, Amazon Demand Side Platform 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, VA, Arlington.
The job was posted on October 8, 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

Software DevelopmentDistributed SystemsAd ServingScalabilityLow Latency

Also common in software engineer jobs at this level

Python AWS Kubernetes TypeScript React Docker

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 software development was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where distributed systems was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where ad serving was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where scalability was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where low latency was part of your work. What did you do?

Adapt your resume

List these exact terms on your resume: Software Development, Distributed Systems, Ad Serving, Scalability, and Low Latency. 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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