Sr SDM, AWS Governance

Amazon is hiring a Sr SDM, AWS Governance in Arlington, United States. It pays $220k-$298k a year and Level rates it ; you can apply on Amazon.

Level's read on this job

On Level's scale, this role is Works on AI ●●●○: the daily work is on AI products, without building the model.
The posting mentions AWS, Cloudtrail and AI agents among its tools and skills.
Level classes it as a senior role.
Amazon has 20,000+ other open roles on Level.

AI in this role

Manage an engineering team building next-generation auditing and compliance platforms for AI agents and cloud workloads using advanced analytics and AI workflows.

AWSCloudtrail

ai-agentssoftware-development-managementdistributed-systemscloud-computingai-assisted-development

Are you passionate about transforming complex technical challenges into elegant, automated solutions that empower customers to leverage innovative technology? Do you thrive on building highly scalable systems that process massive amounts of data and deliver actionable insights through advanced analytics, machine learning, and AI assisted learning? We are looking for a strong software manager to join the AWS Governance team.

AWS CloudTrail is a foundational service that monitors and records API and user activity across your AWS services, giving you complete visibility and control over storage, analysis, and remediation actions. AI agents are already making decisions, invoking APIs, and moving data across AWS — and today, no one can fully observe, audit, or govern what they do.

We are looking for an experienced Manager who will be responsible for driving and advancing the next generation of CloudTrail capabilities using state-of-the-art innovation. As a Sr SDM in our org, you'll work with a development team building one of the largest auditing and compliance event management systems worldwide.

Key job responsibilities
In this role you will own/influence end-to-end outcomes, not just engineering delivery. You'll drive executive alignment (VP-level reviews), lead customer and partner engagement directly, influence strategies such as PRFAQs and Pricing, and build the mechanisms that give leadership confidence.

You are a builder with good working knowledge of cloud technologies and serverless computing. You'll establish AI-assisted development workflows, from AI-powered code generation and automated PR reviews to intelligent test creation, setting the standard for how modern engineering teams multiply their output. You will build and evolve programs to hire, develop, and retain top talent, and rapidly deliver new systems to meet emergent business needs. You will be responsible for driving quality and enabling technical innovation. You will manage evolving / complex demands, including multiple projects with dependencies on other internal organizations. Responsibilities include direct management of technical leaders, process and quality of service improvements, strategic planning, project management for software within the team, and management of resources across teams.

The right candidate will possess proven technical leadership skills with extensive experience managing software engineers. This candidate will be responsible for driving quality and enabling technical innovation. She/he will manage evolving / complex demands, including multiple projects with dependencies on other internal organizations. Responsibilities include direct management of technical leaders and development managers, process and quality of service improvements, strategic planning, project management for software within the team, and management of resources across teams. Successful candidates will be strong leaders who can prioritize well, communicate clearly, and have a consistent track record of delivery.

Basic qualifications

- 10+ years of engineering experience
- 5+ years of engineering team management experience
- 10+ years of planning, designing, developing and delivering consumer software experience
- Experience partnering with product or program management teams
- Experience managing multiple concurrent programs, projects and development teams in an Agile environment

Preferred qualifications

- Experience designing and developing large scale, high-traffic applications
- Experience communicating complex information and solutions to senior stakeholders and influencing decisions
- Track record building AI/ML-powered products with measurable quality mechanisms (benchmarks, eval frameworks, cost models)

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, VA, Arlington - 220,100.00 - 297,700.00 USD annually

How we rate this

Sr SDM, AWS Governance 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

Sr SDM, AWS Governance is an open job at Amazon.
Level rates this role AI Level 3 of 4: Works on AI.
The listed salary is $220k-$298k a year.
The role is based in US, VA, Arlington.
The job was posted on August 14, 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

AI agentsSoftware Development ManagementDistributed SystemsCloud ComputingAI Assisted DevelopmentAWSCloudtrail

Questions you could be asked

How do you decide when an AI agent can act on its own versus asking for approval first?
Tell me about a project where software development management 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 ai assisted development was part of your work. What did you do?

Adapt your resume

List these exact terms on your resume: AI agents, Software Development Management, Distributed Systems, Cloud Computing, and AI Assisted Development. 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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