Systems Development Engineer, ADC2S

Amazon is hiring a Systems Development Engineer, ADC2S in Denver, United States. It pays $99k-$160k a year and Level rates it ; you can apply on Amazon.

Level's read on this job

Uses AI ●●○○ is how Level rates this role: an ordinary role that requires AI tools.
Tools and skills the posting cites include Generative AI, cloud infrastructure and automation.
Level classifies it as a mid-level role.
Level lists 21,000+ other open roles at Amazon.
The role was posted in the last few days.

AI in this role

Design and operate EC2 control-plane services in air-gapped cloud regions while using generative AI tools to improve automation.

generative-ai

cloud-infrastructureautomationcontrol-planedevops

Application deadline: Oct 28, 2026

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is looking for a Systems Development Engineer to design, build, and operate Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) control-plane services in air-gapped regions. You will help governments run secure cloud infrastructure at scale.

In this role, you will join a team of engineers who build and operate software for EC2's control plane, fleet health, and capacity operations in air-gapped cloud environments. You will build features and services from design through production, write the tools and automation that keep them running, and help raise the quality of what the team ships. Commercial tooling often does not exist in isolated regions, so you will build what the team needs instead of configuring an off-the-shelf product.

This position requires that the candidate selected must currently possess and maintain an active TS/SCI security clearance with polygraph. The position further requires the candidate to opt into a commensurate clearance for each government agency for which they perform AWS work.

Key job responsibilities
- Design, build, and operate EC2 control-plane services, fleet health automation, and capacity tooling across air-gapped cloud environments.
- Own features end to end, with guidance from senior engineers: write the design, implement and test the code, deploy it through pipelines to disconnected regions, and operate it in production, including on-call.
- Improve monitoring, alarming, and deployment safety for the services you own, and drive the fix when an operational issue reveals a gap.
- Work with partner teams and stakeholders across the air-gapped partitions to deliver shared infrastructure.
- Take part in design and code reviews.
- Use generative artificial intelligence tools and techniques to improve automation, code quality, and team productivity.

A day in the life
You might start the morning finishing a design document for a new capacity automation feature, then review a teammate's code change to how instance lifecycle events are processed in a disconnected region. After lunch, you work with a partner team to get your change into a shared deployment pipeline, then spend the afternoon tracking down the root cause of an alarm from last night's on-call shift. You write code most days, and you are expected to propose better ways to automate capacity and remediation workflows in the systems you own.

About the team
We own the software that keeps EC2 running in the air-gapped partitions: control-plane services, fleet-health automation, and the capacity tooling our government customers depend on. We operate what we build, so the engineers who design a remediation workflow are the ones it pages. Because the commercial tooling for a problem frequently does not exist in an isolated region, you build the thing rather than configure it. The team defaults to written design documents and clear ownership boundaries, and you will work alongside engineers who are passionate about solving hard infrastructure problems in the most demanding regulated cloud environments.

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

- Associate's degree or above, or CND (Certified Network Defender) or GSEC (GIAC Security Essentials)
- Experience programming with at least one modern language such as C++, C#, Java, Python, Golang, PowerShell, Ruby
- Experience tools for automation (building, testing, releasing or monitoring)
- Experience in networking, storage systems, operating systems and hands-on systems engineering
- Current, active US Government Security Clearance of TS/SCI with Polygraph

Preferred qualifications

- Bachelor's degree in computer science, computer engineering, or related field
- Experience on highly concurrent, high throughput systems and knowledge of complex distributed systems
- Knowledge of and proficiency in the use of Python scripting language

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, CO, Denver - 99,100.00 - 160,000.00 USD annually

How we rate this

Systems Development Engineer, ADC2S at Amazon rates 45 out of 100 for how much of the daily work is AI. That makes it Uses AI (AI Level 2 of 4). The level is about AI in the job, not seniority.

Classification

Uses AI. An ordinary role that requires AI tools.

●●●● 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

Systems Development Engineer, ADC2S is an open job at Amazon.
Level rates this role AI Level 2 of 4: Uses AI.
The listed salary is $99k-$160k a year.
The role is based in US, CO, Denver.
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

Cloud InfrastructureAutomationControl PlaneDevOpsGenerative AI

Questions you could be asked

Tell me about a project where cloud infrastructure 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 control plane was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where devops was part of your work. What did you do?
Walk me through how you've used Generative AI in your day-to-day work.

Adapt your resume

List these exact terms on your resume: Cloud Infrastructure, Automation, Control Plane, DevOps, and Generative AI. 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.
Put the AI tool in a bullet point about what you did, not just in a skills list. This role treats it as a required part of the job.

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