Software Development Engineer, Annapurna Labs, Elastic Collectives

Amazon is hiring a Software Development Engineer, Annapurna Labs, Elastic Collectives in Cupertino, United States. It pays $165k-$224k 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 Builds AI ●●●●: the job is building AI systems.
Pay on this posting starts in line with the typical software engineer posting on Level.
The posting mentions C, Linux and distributed systems among its tools and skills.
Amazon has 21,000+ other open roles on Level.
Posted within the past week.

AI in this role

Develop low-level C/C++ distributed AI/ML systems and collective operations for EC2 cloud infrastructure at Annapurna Labs.

clinux

distributed-systemshpcnetworkingmachine-learning

We are seeking an experienced engineer to work on distributed AI/ML systems. This role involves working on collective operations - the fundamental operations that enable AI to scale across multiple accelerators & servers. Most of our stack is C/C++ and relatively low level, so solid knowledge of Linux, kernels, and performant code is important. Experience with embedded systems is valued, and experience with high-speed networking or HPC interconnects is valued highly.

If you like solving hard problems, want to work with HPC and ML customers, iterate fast and deliver meaningful solutions at scale, then come join us! This truly is a role on the forefront of AI/ML, you’ll be working on features for the largest clusters, with the largest customers, for the largest AI models.

The org you would be joining is Annapurna Labs, an integral part of AWS and develops hardware and software components that are critical building blocks for EC2 infrastructure. Every instance in EC2 is running some type of hardware designed in Annapurna Labs. We specialize in designing software, systems and chips that optimize the AWS customer experience.

A day in the life
Annapurna Labs, a crucial part of AWS, is responsible for developing hardware and software components for EC2 infrastructure. Our team focuses on building networking solutions that for Machine Learning (ML) and High-Performance Computing (HPC) workloads on AWS.

We have mixed discipline orgs, you’d be working side by side with infrastructure experts, hardware engineers, RTL engineers, scientists & architects. Our workforce spans the globe and is truly international, you’ll find yourself working side by side with individuals from numerous countries. We take mentorship seriously, you can both expect senior mentorship and will be expected to mentor new and junior engineers.

The pace is fast as we work on the latest advancements of AI/ML, but we take the time to bond as a team and enjoy the successes. We offer flexibility in working hours, and respect WLB as a core org tenet. The team enjoys working with numerous principal-level engineers and closely with directors, career growth opportunities are certainly available. This is a role where you will always be encouraged to keep learning, the AI/ML field is fast moving and constantly evolving.

About the team
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 that help our team members develop your engineering expertise so you feel empowered to take on more complex tasks in the future.

Diverse Experiences
AWS values diverse experiences. Even if you do not meet all of the qualifications and skills listed in the job description, we encourage candidates to apply. If your career is just starting, hasn’t followed a traditional path, or includes alternative experiences, don’t let it stop you from applying.

About AWS
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the world’s most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud platform. We pioneered cloud computing and never stopped innovating — that’s why customers from the most successful startups to Global 500 companies trust our robust suite of products and services to power their businesses.

Inclusive Team Culture
Here at AWS, it’s in our nature to learn and be curious. Our employee-led affinity groups foster a culture of inclusion that empower us to be proud of our differences. Ongoing events and learning experiences, including our Conversations on Race and Ethnicity (CORE) and AmazeCon (gender diversity) conferences, inspire us to never stop embracing our uniqueness.

Work/Life Balance
We value work-life harmony. Achieving success at work should never come at the expense of sacrifices at home, which is why we strive for flexibility as part of our working culture. When we feel supported in the workplace and at home, there’s nothing we can’t achieve in the cloud.

Mentorship & Career Growth
We’re continuously raising our performance bar as we strive to become Earth’s Best Employer. That’s why you’ll find endless knowledge-sharing, mentorship and other career-advancing resources here to help you develop into a better-rounded professional.

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
- Experience programming with at least one software programming language

Preferred qualifications

- 3+ 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.

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, Cupertino - 165,200.00 - 223,600.00 USD annually

How we rate this

Software Development Engineer, Annapurna Labs, Elastic Collectives at Amazon rates 85 out of 100 for how much of the daily work is AI. That makes it Builds AI (AI Level 4 of 4). The level is about AI in the job, not seniority.

Classification

Builds AI. The job is building AI systems.

●●●● 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, Annapurna Labs, Elastic Collectives is an open job at Amazon.
Level rates this role AI Level 4 of 4: Builds AI.
The listed salary is $165k-$224k a year.
The role is based in US, CA, Cupertino.
The job was posted on October 20, 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

Distributed SystemsHpcNetworkingMachine learningCLinux

Also common in software engineer jobs at this level

Python LLM AI agents Kubernetes Java Generative AI

Pay

This job starts at: $165k
Typical software engineer job: $168k

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 hpc was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where networking was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where machine learning 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: Distributed Systems, Hpc, Networking, Machine learning, 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.
Lead with what you built, trained or shipped. This role is judged on the AI system itself, not the tools around it.

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