Software Development Engineer II, AWS WorkSpaces, AWS WorkSpaces Control Plane Backend

Amazon is hiring a Software Development Engineer II, AWS WorkSpaces, AWS WorkSpaces Control Plane Backend in Seattle, 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 Works on AI ●●●○: the daily work is on AI products, without building the model.
The posting mentions AWS, Distributed Systems and software development 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

Builds agentic cloud desktop experiences and backend systems for AWS WorkSpaces within the Applied AI Solutions team.

AWSDistributed Systems

software-developmentbackenddistributed-systemscloud-computingsystem-architecture

AWS Applied AI Solutions (AAIS) is building toward a future where every business innovates with Amazon AI teammates. To get there, we build AI solutions that improve human capabilities and transform entire business functions. We create end-to-end products that surprise and delight out-of-the-box, making complex things easy and hard things possible, with no cloud experience required. We start with customers who embrace the future and build bridges to meet the rest where they are. We pursue ambitious opportunities with conviction, and we are looking for builders who share that mindset.

The Agentic WorkSpaces team within AWS Applied AI Solutions is building the next generation of cloud desktop experiences used by organizations worldwide. Amazon WorkSpaces delivers fully managed Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS) solutions from the AWS Cloud enabling customers to provision secure high-quality cloud desktops accessible from any device. Our team tackles complex distributed systems challenges to bring a native desktop experience to modern form factors while making provisioning and management simple and cost-effective for IT administrators.

As a Software Development Engineer on the Agentic WorkSpaces team you will own features end-to-end from design through development, testing, deployment, and operations. You will work closely with senior technical leaders within the team and across AWS contributing to platform services system-level components and the layers in between. If you enjoy solving meaningful technical problems in scalable systems and care about the real-world impact your software has on customers this is the role for you.

Key job responsibilities
• Design, implement, test, and deploy software features across the full development lifecycle for Amazon WorkSpaces producing high-quality maintainable code that others on the team can extend.
• Collaborate with senior engineers product managers and cross-functional partners across AWS to define technical solutions that address customer needs and align with long-term architectural strategy.
• Identify root causes of operational issues and drive permanent fixes that continuously improve system reliability and performance.
• Coach other engineers through code reviews and design discussions sharing knowledge that raises the technical bar across the team.
• Evaluate new technologies and approaches, recommending adoption where appropriate to improve scalability security or developer productivity within the WorkSpaces platform.

A day in the life
You start your morning reviewing deployment metrics from a feature you shipped earlier in the week then join a design discussion with teammates about a new provisioning workflow. After lunch you pair with a colleague on a tricky integration test provide feedback on a code review and wrap up by documenting an architectural decision for the team wiki. Your work spans the full stack and you regularly interact with product managers and partner teams to ensure what you build solves real customer problems.

About the team
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.

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.

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.

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.

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
- Experience contributing to the architecture and design (architecture, design patterns, reliability and scaling) of new and current systems

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, AWS WorkSpaces, AWS WorkSpaces Control Plane Backend at Amazon rates 65 out of 100 for how much of the daily work is AI. That makes it Works on AI (AI Level 3 of 4). The level is about AI in the job, not seniority.

Classification

Works on AI. The daily work is on AI products, without building the model.

●●●● 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, AWS WorkSpaces, AWS WorkSpaces Control Plane Backend is an open job at Amazon.
Level rates this role AI Level 3 of 4: Works on AI.
The listed salary is $144k-$194k a year.
The role is based in US, WA, Seattle.
The job was posted on September 18, 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 DevelopmentBackendDistributed SystemsCloud ComputingSystem ArchitectureAWS

Also common in software engineer jobs at this level

Python LLM Java Kubernetes AI agents TypeScript

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 backend 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 cloud computing was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where system architecture was part of your work. What did you do?

Adapt your resume

List these exact terms on your resume: Software Development, Backend, Distributed Systems, Cloud Computing, and System Architecture. 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.
Show where AI is part of your daily process, not a one-off project. This role expects it to be a running habit.

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