Software Development Engineer II - Amazon MSK, Managed Streaming Kafka (MSK)

Amazon is hiring a Software Development Engineer II - Amazon MSK, Managed Streaming Kafka (MSK) for a remote role open to applicants in United States. It pays $144k-$194k a year and Level rates it ; you can apply on Amazon.

Level's read on this job

Little AI ●○○○ is how Level rates this software engineer role: aI is not part of the work.
This is listed as a remote role.
The posting mentions Apache Kafka, Amazon Msk and Apache Spark among its tools and skills.
Level classes it as a mid-level role.
Amazon has 20,000+ other open roles on Level.

AI in this role

Design and build new features, performance improvements, and scalable services for Amazon Managed Streaming for Apache Kafka.

Apache KafkaAmazon MskApache SparkApache FlinkAmazon Kinesis

javadistributed-systemsopen-sourcedata-streaming

Come build the future of data streaming with the Amazon Managed Streaming for Kafka (MSK) team!

We are seeking builders for our Amazon MSK service, a fully managed service that makes it easy for customers to build and run applications that use Apache Kafka to process streaming data. We are looking for engineers who are enthusiastic about data streaming, and are as passionate about contributing to open source as they are about solving real customers' business needs, at AWS scale.

As a member of the Amazon MSK team, you will be making contributions to the entire stack - the APIs and the workflows that make up the MSK service, the core Kafka platform, and stand-alone tools that make it easier for Kafka community to operate Kafka better. Upstream compatibility is a core tenet of MSK. Your code changes to the Kafka platform will be released back to open source. As a member of an AWS service that builds on top of a popular open source technology, this is a unique opportunity to work on a team that straddles both worlds – open source and Amazon-internal software. You will design and build new features, make performance improvements, identify and investigate new technologies, prototype solutions, build scalable services, and test and review changes, to deliver an exceptional customer experience.

The ideal candidate has experience designing large-scale systems supporting millions of transactions per second, enjoys solving complex software problems, and possesses analytical, design and problem-solving skills. Ideally you have an in-depth understanding of streaming data technologies like Amazon Kinesis or Apache Kafka, and experience with open-source data processing frameworks like Apache Spark, Apache Flink, or Apache Storm. Your responsibilities will include collaborating with other engineers to build a large scale AWS service, and work with senior leaders to define your team's roadmap, including identifying design and code changes needed in the underlying open source platforms.

Learn more about Amazon MSK: - AWS re:Invent 2018: Amazon Managed Streaming for Kafka (Amazon MSK) Launch

* AWS re:Invent 2020: How Goldman Sachs uses an Amazon MSK backbone for Transaction Banking Platform
* AWS re:Invent 2020: How New Relic is migrating its Apache Kafka cluster to Amazon MSK
* AWS re:Invent 2021: How Coinbase uses Amazon MSK as an event store for applications
* MSK Tiered Storage: Optimize cost and improve Kafka scalability
* AWS re:Invent 2023: How Rivian builds real-time analytics from electric vehicles

Utility Computing (UC)
AWS Utility Computing (UC) provides product innovations — from foundational services such as Amazon’s Simple Storage Service (S3) and Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2), to consistently released new product innovations that continue to set AWS’s services and features apart in the industry. As a member of the UC organization, you’ll support the development and management of Compute, Database, Storage, Internet of Things (Iot), Platform, and Productivity Apps services in AWS, including support for customers who require specialized security solutions for customers who require specialized security solutions for their cloud services.

About the team
ABOUT AWS:
Diverse Experiences
Amazon values diverse experiences. Even if you do not meet all of the preferred 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.

Why 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.

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 flexible work hours and arrangements are part of our culture. When we feel supported in the workplace and at home, there’s nothing we can’t achieve in the cloud.

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 and AmazeCon conferences, inspire us to never stop embracing our uniqueness.

Mentorship and 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.

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, WA, Seattle - 143,700.00 - 194,400.00 USD annually

How we rate this

Software Development Engineer II - Amazon MSK, Managed Streaming Kafka (MSK) 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 II - Amazon MSK, Managed Streaming Kafka (MSK) 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, WA, Seattle and is marked remote.
The job was posted on August 12, 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

JavaDistributed SystemsOpen SourceData StreamingApache KafkaAmazon MskApache SparkApache Flink

Also common in software engineer jobs at this level

Python Java C++Kubernetes TypeScript React

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 java 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 open source was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where data streaming was part of your work. What did you do?
Walk me through how you've used Apache Kafka in your day-to-day work.

Adapt your resume

List these exact terms on your resume: Java, Distributed Systems, Open Source, Data Streaming, and Apache Kafka. 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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