Software Development Engineer I, Annapurna Labs, Early Career - 2027

Amazon is hiring a Software Development Engineer I, Annapurna Labs, Early Career - 2027 in Cupertino, United States. It pays $129k 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.
Tools and skills the posting cites include PyTorch, TensorFlow and JAX.
Level classifies it as a junior role.
Level lists 20,000+ other open roles at Amazon.

AI in this role

Build compilers, runtimes, and distributed infrastructure for custom machine learning silicon accelerators.

PyTorchTensorFlowJAXLlvm

cpythoncompiler-designmachine-learning

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.

What's in it for you? An internship at Amazon means real responsibility from day one. You'll build, test, and learn alongside people who want to see you succeed, while making an impact that reaches far beyond campus.

About the team
Annapurna Labs designs the custom silicon at Amazon - including Graviton (our server processors), Trainium and Inferentia (our machine learning training and inference accelerators), and the Nitro system that powers modern EC2. We own the full stack, from silicon through the software that makes it work (compilers, runtimes, drivers, and the frameworks that let customers run workloads on our hardware). As a Software Development Engineer I, you'll write the software that turns custom silicon into products used by millions.

Where you might land:
Annapurna has software teams spanning the full stack, and we work to place you on a technical team aligned with your interests and strengths. Example teams and focus areas include:

- Compiler development for ML accelerators (Neuron SDK, MLIR, LLVM)
- ML runtimes and frameworks (integration with PyTorch, JAX, TensorFlow)
- Low-level systems software, firmware, and device drivers
- Performance optimization and kernel development for custom silicon
- Distributed training and inference infrastructure
Once you join, we partner with you and our hiring managers to match you to a team where your background and interests fit best, so your project is something you're genuinely excited to work on.

As an SDE I, you'll contribute to real production software, which may include:

- Designing, implementing, and testing software across the stack - from low-level systems code to compilers, runtimes, and tooling
- Writing efficient, maintainable code in languages such as C, C++, or Python
- Optimizing software performance on custom hardware (Graviton, Trainium, Inferentia)
- Debugging complex issues across the hardware-software boundary
- Collaborating with hardware, compiler, and systems teams to deliver features end-to-end
- Documenting your work and presenting results to the team

Basic qualifications

- Bachelor's or Master's degree program in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related field, with a final graduation date of May 2027 or later
- Programming experience in at least one modern language such as C, C++, Java, or Python
- Coursework or project experience in data structures, algorithms, and software design
- Understanding of core computer science fundamentals: operating systems, computer architecture, or systems programming

Preferred qualifications

- Bachelor's or Master's degree with a focus on systems, compilers, computer architecture, or high-performance computing
- Experience with low-level or systems programming in C/C++ (memory management, concurrency, performance optimization)
- Familiarity with compilers (MLIR, LLVM, TVM), ML runtimes, operating systems internals, or distributed systems
- Exposure to machine learning frameworks and an understanding of how models run on hardware
- Prior internship, research, or open-source contribution experience in systems, compilers, or ML infrastructure

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 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.

Austin, TX, USA - 128,700.00 USD Annually
Cupertino, CA, USA - 148,100.00 USD Annually
New York, NY, USA - 141,600.00 USD Annually
Seattle, WA, USA - 128,700.00 USD Annually

How we rate this

Software Development Engineer I, Annapurna Labs, Early Career - 2027 at Amazon rates 90 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 I, Annapurna Labs, Early Career - 2027 is an open job at Amazon.
Level rates this role AI Level 4 of 4: Builds AI.
The listed salary is $129k a year.
The role is based in US, CA, Cupertino.
The job was posted on September 24, 2026.
Seniority: junior.
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

CPythonCompiler DesignMachine learningPyTorchTensorFlowJAXLlvm

Also common in software engineer jobs at this level

LLM AWS AI agents Kubernetes Generative AI TypeScript

Pay

This job starts at: $129k
Typical software engineer job: $167k

This posting starts 23% below the typical software engineer job. See software engineer jobs

Questions you could be asked

Tell me about a project where c was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where python was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where compiler design 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 PyTorch in your day-to-day work.

Adapt your resume

List these exact terms on your resume: C, Python, Compiler Design, Machine learning, and PyTorch. 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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