Software Development Manager, Linux Kernel, Amazon Linux

Amazon is hiring a Software Development Manager, Linux Kernel, Amazon Linux. Level rates it ; you can apply on Amazon.

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Amazon is looking to hire an experienced engineering leader to manage and grow a team working on Amazon Linux. This GNU/Linux distribution enables customer workloads in EC2, many AWS services, and internal application stacks.

The successful candidate will own large parts of the Linux kernel in Amazon Linux, with a focus on security, performance, live patching and live update.

After joining, you will quickly become a key partner to the leadership team, where you will understand its core business goals and priorities. In the first three months, you will review existing processes and understand them. You will be guiding your team of initially 8-12 engineers to collaborate with internal teams and the Open Source community.

In the upcoming months, you will drive continual improvements to the efficiency and flexibility of the platform while keeping a high bar for security and availability. You will own key parts of the software stack that is running on most Amazon servers worldwide.

Amazon Linux is a part of AWS Utility Computing (UC) which 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 their cloud services.

Key job responsibilities
As a Software Development Manager within EC2, you will lead a team of highly skilled developers and therefore have strategic impact on the business. Our roadmap is bursting with opportunity for you to lead this team in solving intriguing challenges and tangibly impacting the customer experience.

In this key role you will be responsible for developing and maintaining key parts of GNU/Linux distributions and associated technologies. If you have passion for people management, solid technical knowledge and want to build solutions to challenging problems that directly affect millions of people, there may be no better place than Amazon for you to impact the world!

You will manage your team to execute against project plans and delivery commitments. You will translate customer requirements into project and engineering plans, and ambitious but realistic schedules. You represent your team in calls and meetings to report on progress and update project plans if required. Long term you evolve your team’s software engineering methods and implement best practices. Ultimately you contribute to the organization’s hiring to grow your team and others.

Amazon Linux is a part of Utility Computing (UC) team which 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. Within AWS UC, Amazon Dedicated Cloud (ADC) roles engage with AWS customers who require specialized security solutions for their cloud services.

A day in the life
A typical day will have 1:1 meetings with reports to discuss their work and, occasionally, their professional development. You will do the same with other leaders in the organization, initially for your own mentoring and learning, and later to discuss current and future projects.

For lunch, people often go out in groups, or meet in our winter garden or roof terrace. The occasional coffee chat or technical talk keeps you connected to other teams.

You will write and review project narratives, plans and technical. You might be asked to join scheduled or ad-hoc communication for whatever idea or issue is being worked on. Amazonians spend time on exploring and learning new things.

About the team
The team maintains the Linux kernel for Amazon Linux, a GNU/Linux distribution with significant usage in EC2, AWS products, and internal infrastructure. It shares responsibility for the security of the components, with a focuses on performance engineering and developing features that makes the kernel easier to consume.

Have a look at the city, the office and team life...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zA2UQIXdmE

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.

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.

Inclusive Team Culture
AWS values curiosity and connection. Our employee-led and company-sponsored affinity groups promote inclusion and empower our people to take pride in what makes us unique. Our inclusion events foster stronger, more collaborative teams. Our continual innovation is fueled by the bold ideas, fresh perspectives, and passionate voices our teams bring to everything we do.

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.

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.

Basic qualifications

- Experience with Linux/Unix operating systems
- Experience in technical team management
- Experience partnering with product or program management teams

Preferred qualifications

- Experience developing in a Linux environment and in utilizing virtual machines
- Experience in communicating with users, other technical teams, and senior leadership to collect requirements, describe software product features, technical designs, and product strategy
- Experience in recruiting, hiring, mentoring/coaching and managing teams of Software Engineers to improve their skills, and make them more effective, product software engineers

Amazon is an equal opportunities employer. We believe passionately that employing a diverse workforce is central to our success. We make recruiting decisions based on your experience and skills. We value your passion to discover, invent, simplify and build. Protecting your privacy and the security of your data is a longstanding top priority for Amazon. Please consult our Privacy Notice (https://www.amazon.jobs/en/privacy_page) to know more about how we collect, use and transfer the personal data of our candidates.

m/w/d

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.

How we rate this

Software Development Manager, Linux Kernel, Amazon Linux at Amazon rates 33 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 Manager, Linux Kernel, Amazon Linux is an open job at Amazon.
Level rates this role AI Level 1 of 4: Little AI.
The role is based in DE, Dresden.
The job was posted on April 1, 2026.
Applications are handled by Amazon. Apply on Amazon