Software Development Engineer, Amazon Leo, Early Career - 2026

Amazon is hiring a Software Development Engineer, Amazon Leo, Early Career - 2026. It pays $129k 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.
Level classifies it as a junior role.
Level lists 20,000+ other open roles at Amazon.

AI in this role

Shape what comes next | Discover careers in Tech

At Amazon, our tech isn't just a tool, it's your playground. Our engineers work on scalable systems, cloud services, and customer-facing products that operate at global scale. This is an environment where you learn by building. Whether you're creating cloud-native solutions, optimizing machine learning models, or building products that drive experiences for millions of customers around the globe, your work reaches the world, fast. You'll take ownership early, collaborate across teams and disciplines, and grow your skills as you tackle new problems. There's no single path forward here, with a chance to explore different directions and shape your journey as you go. This is where ambition meets opportunity and, where the impact of what you build helps define what comes next, for customers and for you.

Amazon Leo is Amazon’s low Earth orbit satellite network. Our mission is to deliver fast, reliable internet connectivity to customers beyond the reach of existing networks. From individual households to schools, hospitals, businesses, and government agencies, Amazon Leo will serve people and organizations operating in locations without reliable connectivity.

Our Software Development Engineers (SDEs) use modern technology to solve complex problems while seeing their work's impact first-hand. The challenges SDEs solve at Amazon are meaningful and influence millions of customers, sellers, and products globally. We seek individuals passionate about creating new products, features, and services while managing ambiguity in an environment where development cycles are measured in weeks, not years.

At Amazon, we believe in ownership at every level. As an SDE-I, you'll own the entire lifecycle of your code - from design through deployment and ongoing operations. This ownership mindset, combined with our commitment to operational excellence, ensures we deliver the highest quality solutions for our customers.

We're looking for curious minds who think big and want to define tomorrow's technology. At Amazon, you'll grow into the high-impact engineer you know you can be, supported by a culture of learning and mentorship. Every day brings exciting new challenges and opportunities for personal growth.

We will take your location preferences into consideration. Preferences are based on business availability and are not guaranteed. Applicants will be considered at all locations in the United States including but not limited to:

- WA (Redmond)

Export Control Requirement:
Due to applicable export control laws and regulations, candidates must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (i.e., current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum.

Key job responsibilities
• Collaborate and communicate effectively with experienced cross-disciplinary Amazonians to design, build, and operate innovative products and services that delight our customers, while participating in technical discussions to drive solutions forward.
• Design and develop scalable solutions using cloud-native architectures and microservices in a large distributed computing environment.
• Participate in code reviews and contribute to technical documentation.
• Build and maintain resilient distributed systems that are scalable, fault-tolerant, and cost-effective.
• Leverage and contribute to the development of GenAI and AI-powered tools to enhance development productivity while staying current with emerging technologies.
• Write clean, maintainable code following best practices and design patterns.
• Work in an agile environment practicing CI/CD principles while participating in operational responsibilities including on-call duties.
• Demonstrate operational excellence through monitoring, troubleshooting, and resolving production issues.

A day in the life

Basic qualifications

- Experience with at least one general-purpose programming language such as Java, Python, C++, C#, Go, Rust, or TypeScript
- Experience with data structure implementation, basic algorithm development, and/or object-oriented design principles
- Currently enrolled in a Bachelor's degree or above in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Data Science, Information Systems, or related STEM fields OR completed a Bachelor's or Graduate degree in specified fields
- Must be 18 years of age or older

Preferred qualifications

- Previous technical internship(s) or demonstrated project experience
- Experience with one or more of the following: AI tools for development productivity, cloud platforms (preferably AWS), database systems (SQL and NoSQL), contributing to open-source projects, debugging and troubleshooting complex systems, and version control systems
- Strong problem-solving and analytical skills
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Demonstrated ability to learn and adapt to new technologies quickly
- Basic understanding of software development lifecycle (SDLC)

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 starting pay for this position is listed below. Starting Day 1 of employment, Amazon offers EAP, Mental Health Support, Medical Advice Line, 401(k) matching. Learn more about our benefits at https://hiring.amazon.com/why-amazon/benefits.

Redmond, WA, USA - 129,000.00 USD Annually

How we rate this

Software Development Engineer, Amazon Leo, Early Career - 2026 at Amazon rates 22 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 Leo, Early Career - 2026 is an open job at Amazon.
Level rates this role AI Level 1 of 4: Little AI.
The listed salary is $129k a year.
The role is based in US, WA, Redmond.
The job was posted on August 25, 2026.
Seniority: junior.
Applications are handled by Amazon. Apply on Amazon