Systems Development Engineer, S3

Amazon is hiring a Systems Development Engineer, S3 in Seattle, United States. It pays $129k-$175k a year and Level rates it ; you can apply on Amazon.

Level's read on this job

On Level's scale, this role is Little AI ●○○○: aI is not part of the work.
Tools and skills the posting cites include AWS, S3 and systems development.
Level classifies it as a mid-level role.
Level lists 20,000+ other open roles at Amazon.

AI in this role

Systems Development Engineer needed to build and automate high-scale cloud storage infrastructure for AWS S3.

AWSS3

systems-developmentautomationdevopsdistributed-computingcloud-storage

One of the world’s highest scale storage platforms is currently looking for a Systems Development Engineer with an obsession for automation. Is this you? How can you tell? You’re fascinated with how software applications, their developers and their operators interact to deliver the world-class Amazon Web Services (AWS) S3 storage service. You have a long history of asking “What if we do it this way?” and proposing “I could develop a fix for this!” You love working directly with people to diagnose their needs, deliver a solution, and watch it solve their problems. You believe in a full-lifecycle, DevOps-based, software development process that delivers well-designed, tested, and resilient solutions. Your professional pride is deeply wounded any time a customer discovers a bug or your solution doesn’t work for them. You’re happiest working with a team of world-class engineers that are always learning and sharing new skills and techniques.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is one of Amazon’s fastest growing businesses. It services millions of customers in more than 190 countries and powers the developers who are building the next generation of global industry leaders. AWS runs a globally distributed environment, operating at massive levels of scale. Businesses, from startups to enterprises, run their operations and applications on AWS’s multi-tenant infrastructure. Each day, millions of developers execute billions of transactions worldwide on the AWS Cloud.

Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3) is storage for the Internet. Through the use of pioneering techniques in distributed computing, developers are able to durably store their data on Amazon’s proven computing infrastructure to achieve virtually limitless storage capacity at minimal cost. S3 sets the standard for functionality, cost, and performance for storage in the cloud. With trillions of objects under management, we’re one of the most successful services anywhere. But, we’re not resting on our laurels… it’s still the early days for cloud computing, and there are boundless opportunities to continue to redefine the world of storage.

S3 Unique Regions group is responsible for S3 service in AWS regions beyond the regular public service offerings. These Unique Regions include private regions operated for the U.S. government with stringent security requirements. The group is responsible for operating the S3 service, keeping it up-to-date with public service features, and meeting security and architecture requirements of each unique region.

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
- Technical lead for small engineering team through the full software lifecycle.
- Identify, plan, deliver, and operate software and processes that generate Customer Obsessed, business impacting improvements for AWS operations.

A day in the life
As a Systems Development Engineer in the S3 Unique Regions organization, you will:
- Work with AWS engineers to identify process automation opportunities.
- Perform full-lifecycle software development with constant customer interaction to scope, design, implement, test, deliver, and operate software solutions.
- Learn and grow using a DevOps, Agile Scrum, incremental delivery philosophy with highly-supportive peers constantly sharing subject matter expertise and producing peer-reviewed code.
- Participate in on-call rotation supporting our own automation solutions and eventually move to the on-call rotation that operates the entire S3 service itself in unique regions.

About the team
We take joy in building meaningful solutions. We work side-by-side with our customers to solve their challenges and share our victories. We see diversity and inclusion as fundamental with everyone deserving a voice, our respect, and celebration of their contributions. We work as a team to deliver results, share our expertise freely, and grow together as professionals and people.

Basic qualifications

- Bachelor's degree, or CSSLP (Certified Secure Software Lifecycle Professional)
- 4+ years of programming with at least one modern language such as C++, C#, Java, Python, Golang, PowerShell, Ruby experience
- 4+ years of non-internship professional software development experience
- 2+ years of designing or architecting (design patterns, reliability and scaling) of new and existing systems experience
- 4+ years of deploying and operating in a Linux/Unix environment experience
- Current, active US Government Security Clearance of TS/SCI with Polygraph

Preferred qualifications

- 1+ years of development/programming/scripting language (Python/Java/Bash/Perl) experience
- Knowledge of engineering practices and patterns for the full software/hardware/networks development life cycle, including coding standards, code reviews, source control management, build processes, testing, certification, and livesite operations
- Experience taking a leading role in building complex software or computing infrastructure that has been successfully delivered to customers

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, WA, Seattle - 129,200.00 - 174,800.00 USD annually

How we rate this

Systems Development Engineer, S3 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

Systems Development Engineer, S3 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, WA, Seattle.
The job was posted on May 14, 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

Systems DevelopmentAutomationDevOpsDistributed ComputingCloud StorageAWSS3

Questions you could be asked

Tell me about a project where systems development 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 devops was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where distributed computing was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where cloud storage was part of your work. What did you do?

Adapt your resume

List these exact terms on your resume: Systems Development, Automation, DevOps, Distributed Computing, and Cloud Storage. 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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