System Development Engineer, Astra ADC

Amazon is hiring a System Development Engineer, Astra ADC. It pays $129k-$175k a year and Level rates it ; you can apply on Amazon.

Level's read on this job

Level rates this role Little AI ●○○○: aI is not part of the work.
The posting mentions Linux, CI/CD and distributed systems among its tools and skills.
Level classes it as a mid-level role.
Amazon has 21,000+ other open roles on Level.
Posted within the past two weeks.

AI in this role

Build and operate complex distributed systems and deployment automation in secure air-gapped environments.

linuxci-cd

distributed-systemsautomationtroubleshooting

Would you like to design, develop, and implement innovative cloud computing solutions and solve the world's most complex technical problems? Do you have a deep passion and desire to engineer and operate the world's largest cloud computing infrastructure to build a better world for future generations?

This is an exciting opportunity to use the latest cloud computing technologies to help US government agencies implement innovative cloud computing solutions and solve technical problems.

AWS established a specialized group of service teams responsible for the work we are doing with the US Intelligence Community. We are building some of the largest and most complex distributed systems in the world, and we need adaptable people to help us implement and operate them, and expand capabilities with the speed of relevance. You'd work with some of the best and brightest engineers in the industry, while also developing your skills and furthering your career within one of the most innovative and progressive technology companies anywhere.

A successful Engineer joining the team will do much more than write code and triage problems. They will operate services at scale in air-gapped environments where standard commercial tooling doesn't exist, drive cross-partition deployment parity, and build the automation that keeps Amazon's most sensitive workloads shipping safely. They will dive deep into complex distributed systems issues and work diligently to improve the builder experience.

The ideal candidate will:

- Be great fun to work with. Our company credo is "Work hard. Have fun. Make history." The right candidate will love what they do and instinctively know how to make work fun.
- Have strong Linux & Networking Fundamentals. The ideal candidate will have deep experience working with Linux, preferably in large-scale, distributed environments. You understand networking technology, how services communicate across isolated boundaries, and regularly take part in deep-dive troubleshooting and technical post-mortem discussions to identify root causes of complex issues.
- Love to code. Whether it's building deployment automation, creating AI-powered operational tooling, or solving complex cross-partition orchestration problems, the ideal candidate will love using technology to solve problems. You have a solid understanding of software development methodology and CI/CD practices.
- Think Big. The ideal candidate will build and deploy solutions that enable thousands of Amazon builders to ship software reliably across multiple isolated regions. You will strive to improve and streamline processes to allow delivery at massive scale.
This position requires that the candidate selected must currently possess and maintain an active TS/SCI security clearance. The position further requires that, after start, the selected candidate obtain and maintain an active TS/SCI security clearance with polygraph or commensurate clearance for each government agency for which they perform AWS work.

A day in the life
You start the morning reviewing deployment health across isolated regions, checking alarms and on-call handoffs. Mid-morning, you're deep in a code review for a cross-partition automation fix, then jump into a design discussion on how to bring a new ASBX service capability to air-gapped environments. After lunch, you troubleshoot a deployment pipeline issue, tracing it from orchestration logs to a configuration mismatch, and ship the fix before end of day. Between the technical depth and the autonomy to own problems end-to-end, no two days look the same.

About the team
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.

AWS Infrastructure Services (AIS)
AWS Infrastructure Services owns the design, planning, delivery, and operation of all AWS global infrastructure. In other words, we’re the people who keep the cloud running. We support all AWS data centers and all of the servers, storage, networking, power, and cooling equipment that ensure our customers have continual access to the innovation they rely on. We work on the most challenging problems, with thousands of variables impacting the supply chain — and we’re looking for talented people who want to help.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Basic qualifications

- Bachelor's degree, or CSSLP (Certified Secure Software Lifecycle Professional)
- 2+ years of non-internship professional software development experience
- 1+ years of designing or architecting (design patterns, reliability and scaling) of new and existing systems experience
- Experience programming with at least one modern language such as C++, C#, Java, Python, Golang, PowerShell, Ruby
- 4+ years of administrative experience in networking, storage systems, operating systems and hands-on systems engineering experience
- Knowledge of systems engineering fundamentals (networking, storage, operating systems)
- Current, active US Government Security Clearance of Top Secret with SCI eligibility or above

Preferred qualifications

- Experience with PowerShell (preferred), Python, Ruby, or Java
- Experience working in an Agile environment using the Scrum methodology

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, MD, Jessup - 129,200.00 - 174,800.00 USD annually
USA, WA, Seattle - 129,200.00 - 174,800.00 USD annually

How we rate this

System Development Engineer, Astra ADC at Amazon rates 10 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

System Development Engineer, Astra ADC is an open job at Amazon.
Level rates this role AI Level 1 of 4: Little AI.
The listed salary is $129k-$175k a year.
The role is based in US, MD, Jessup.
The job was posted on October 23, 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

Distributed SystemsAutomationTroubleshootingLinuxCI/CD

Questions you could be asked

Tell me about a project where distributed systems was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where automation was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where troubleshooting was part of your work. What did you do?
What's a project where you used Linux hands-on?
Walk me through how you've used CI/CD in your day-to-day work.

Adapt your resume

List these exact terms on your resume: Distributed Systems, Automation, Troubleshooting, Linux, and CI/CD. 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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