Sr. Software Development Manager, Relational Database Services

Amazon is hiring a Sr. Software Development Manager, Relational Database Services in Austin, United States. It pays $220k-$298k a year and Level rates it ; you can apply on Amazon.

Level's read on this job

Little AI ●○○○ is how Level rates this role: aI is not part of the work.
The posting mentions software development, engineering management and database management 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

Lead engineering teams building next-generation patch management and upgrade automation systems for AWS RDS.

software-developmentengineering-managementdatabase-managementcloud-computingautomation

Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) is one of the fastest growing services in AWS, running millions of customer databases across every commercial and sovereign region. Keeping those databases current, secure, and healthy at that scale is one of the hardest and most consequential problems in managed databases. Our vision is to provide the best in class release and patch management available.

We are looking for a Senior Software Development Manager to build the next generation of how RDS patches, upgrades, and manages the software lifecycle of every database we operate.

You will lead multiple engineering teams reinventing how we deliver operating system, engine, and platform software updates to customer fleets, with the goal of making patching and upgrades a best-in-class, low-touch, and trustworthy experience. You will own the strategy and delivery of advanced patching and upgrade systems designed for the next generation of the cloud: safer automation, richer customer control, and near-zero-downtime maintenance. You will set the multi-year technical vision, hire and grow a strong org, and partner across RDS, database engines, and AWS security to raise the bar on how customers keep their databases current.

The right leader is equally comfortable defining strategy in ambiguity and diving deep into the mechanics of fleet-wide software delivery. You think in terms of customer trust, operational safety, and long-term platform leverage, and you build teams that ship durable systems rather than one-off fixes.

Key job responsibilities
- Own the vision, strategy, and roadmap for RDS patching, upgrades, and software lifecycle management across the entire managed fleet.
- Build and lead several engineering teams delivering net-new systems for advanced patching and upgrade orchestration, safety, and automation.
- Raise the bar on maintenance safety: minimize customer-visible downtime, expand automated validation and rollback, and shorten the time from CVE disclosure to fleet-wide remediation.
- Partner with database engine, security, and operations teams to align on a coherent software lifecycle strategy for the next generation of the cloud.
- Hire, develop, and retain a high-performing organization; grow managers and senior engineers and set a high standard for operational and engineering excellence.
- Represent the patching and lifecycle strategy to senior AWS leadership and to customers, and drive alignment on long-term direction.

A day in the life
You spend your morning in a design review for a new upgrade-orchestration system, pushing the team on how it behaves during partial failure and how it earns customer trust. Midday you review fleet health and remediation metrics with your leads, decide where to invest to raise the bar on critical patch SLAs, and unblock a cross-team dependency with the engine teams. In the afternoon you work with a principal engineer on the multi-year lifecycle vision, then meet with a manager on their team's hiring and growth plans. Throughout, you are balancing near-term operational commitments against the net-new platform you are building.

About the team
AWS 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.

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

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 we strive for flexibility as part of our working culture. When we feel supported in the workplace and at home, there’s nothing we can’t achieve in the cloud.

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 partnering with product and program management teams
- Experience designing and developing large scale, high-traffic applications

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, TX, Austin - 220,100.00 - 297,700.00 USD annually

How we rate this

Sr. Software Development Manager, Relational Database Services 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

Sr. Software Development Manager, Relational Database Services is an open job at Amazon.
Level rates this role AI Level 1 of 4: Little AI.
The listed salary is $220k-$298k a year.
The role is based in US, TX, Austin.
The job was posted on September 15, 2026.
Seniority: senior.
Applications are handled by Amazon. Apply on Amazon

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Skills and AI tools this role asks for

Software DevelopmentEngineering ManagementDatabase ManagementCloud ComputingAutomation

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