Description

Ever wonder what happens when S3 processes a PUT request, when EC2 launches a new instance, when DynamoDB commits a write with single-digit millisecond latency, or when Kinesis Data Streams ingests a new record? Behind the scenes, a distributed log service is making it all possible — and you'd be the one shaping its future.

The Transactional Services organization builds foundational distributed systems that power the largest AWS services. We specialize in high-performance, strongly consistent data systems that operate at scale. Our systems process over 4 million writes per second today and are growing fast. When we ship, the blast radius is AWS itself.

We have a multi-year roadmap packed with hard, unsolved problems: building next-generation data export services, driving large-scale migrations that will reshape Amazon's storage infrastructure, and pushing the boundaries of durability, availability, and performance in distributed log systems. This isn't incremental work — it's foundational.

As a Sr. SDE, you'll be a technical leader on a team of 12 engineers. You'll set the technical direction for critical services, drive cross-team architecture decisions, and own the delivery of our most complex, ambiguous projects. You'll partner closely with Principal Engineers and your engineering manager to define the roadmap, and you'll mentor SDE-I and SDE-II engineers to raise the bar across the team.

If you want to lead the design and evolution of distributed systems at AWS scale — not just contribute to them — this is the role.

Key job responsibilities
- Lead the design and architecture of highly available, low-latency distributed log and database systems that process millions of writes per second for AWS's most critical services.
- Own the team's most complex and ambiguous technical problems — define the approach, drive consensus, and deliver end-to-end from problem statement through production.
- Set technical direction across multiple foundational services, making architecture decisions that balance performance, durability, and operational simplicity.
- Lead multi-year, cross-team efforts with high-profile partner teams such as S3 — driving alignment, managing dependencies, and delivering results across organizational boundaries.
- Mentor and develop SDE-I and SDE-II engineers through design reviews, code reviews, and hands-on pairing — building the team's next generation of senior engineers.
- Raise the engineering bar by defining best practices, driving operational excellence, and shaping the team's technical culture.

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.