Amazon

Director AWS, OpenSearch

Amazon$150K — $200K *
Information Technology
11 - 15 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field (or equivalent experience)
  • 15+ years of software development experience
  • 10+ years in senior engineering leadership roles
  • Background in search engines, recommendation systems, or data analytics platforms
  • Deep expertise in databases and distributed systems at scale

Responsibilities

  • Lead transformation of engineering workflows into an agentic-first model
  • Own product engineering decisions on design, build, deploy, and support
  • Engage directly with customers to translate needs into product direction
  • Publish thoughts and insights on adaptive agent-to-agent experiences
  • Scale and lead a large distributed engineering team
  • Foster a culture of continuous learning and innovation
  • Drive innovation across search, vector, and log analytics

Benefits

  • Opportunities for personal and professional growth
  • Work in a collaborative and innovative environment
  • Engage directly with high-profile customers
  • Be part of a mission to disrupt agentic search products
Full Job Description
We are seeking a highly innovative Director of Software Development to lead within the AWS OpenSearch organization, a $2.4B service powering search, vector, and log analytics workloads at a massive scale. This leader will serve as a strategic right-hand to the General Manager, driving technical vision, agentic-first development practices, and product innovation across three core pillars:

Traditional and Agentic Search- powering customer experiences for companies like AirBnb, Intuit, and Zoom.

Vector Search- enabling LLMs and AI agents to digest chunked data at low latency and scale.

Log Analytics- ingesting and securing customer data including access control and credential management.

This is a transformational leadership role for someone who thrives at the intersection of deep technology, product thinking, and customer obsession, a leader poised to disrupt how we deliver agentic search products and anticipate the evolving needs of our customers.

Key job responsibilities

Agentic-First Development: Lead the transformation of engineering workflows into an agentic-first model, changing how teams develop, test, and ship code autonomously using AI agents.

Product Engineering (30%): Own the "what" and "how" of product engineering, design, build, deploy, and support. Drive decisions on what to build and how to ship code fast.

Customer Engagement (20%): Serve as a customer-facing technical leader, engaging directly with external customers to deeply understand their needs and translate insights into product direction.

Thought Leadership: Operate as a strong writer and forward thinker, leading from the front with published perspectives, external presence, and a clear vision for adaptive, agent-to-agent experiences.

Team Leadership & Scaling: Lead and scale a large, distributed engineering organization including teams in India. Build a high-EQ culture that attracts and retains top talent.

Continuous Learning & Innovation: Foster a culture of continuous learning. Look around corners, anticipate customer needs, build adaptive agent experiences, and drive recommendations that evolve with usage.

Technical Strategy: Drive innovation across search, vectors, and log analytics ensuring OpenSearch remains competitive against other players in the database/analytics/search landscape.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience)

15+ years of software development experience

10+ years in senior engineering leadership roles

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Background in search engines, recommendation systems, or data analytics platforms.

Experience driving AI/ML-powered or agentic development workflows

Deep technical expertise in databases, analytics, search, or related distributed systems at scale

Proven experience scaling large engineering organizations across multiple geographies

Track record of delivering customer-facing products with high velocity in a fast-moving, competitive landscape

Experience leading product engineering, from ideation through design, build, deploy, and support

Strong written and verbal communication skills; demonstrated thought leadership

Track record of leading open-source projects or communities

Experience with vector databases, embedding models, or LLM infrastructure

Demonstrated ability to operate as a customer-facing technical executive

About Amazon

Audible is a provider of spoken audio information and entertainment , on the Internet. They provide premium spoken audio content, such as audio versions of books and newspapers and radio programs, that is delivered over the Internet and played back on personal computers and hand-held electronic devices. The Audible service allows consumers to purchase and download their content from their Website, store it in digital files and play it back on personal computers and electronic devices. More than 15,000 hours of audio content are available on their Web site, including audio versions of books, periodicals and radio programs. Several manufacturers have agreed to support and promote the playback of their content on their hand-held audio-enabled electronic devices.

Amazon Careers

Joining Amazon presents an unparalleled opportunity to become part of a vibrant team pushing the boundaries of innovation and growth in the global marketplace. As a leader in e-commerce, technology, and logistics, Amazon offers a variety of job opportunities that cater to a range of skills and professional interests. Work You’ll Do At Amazon, every day is an opportunity to collaborate with the brightest minds in technology and business to redefine what’s possible. Whether you’re interested in software development, marketing, human resources, or customer service, Amazon has a position waiting for you. Transform the way the world shops and innovates with our diverse and inclusive team. Amazon is not just a company; it’s a community where you can drive real change and contribute to projects impacting millions globally. Lead with Innovation and Leadership Amazon is the perfect place to enhance your leadership and innovation skills. Our culture encourages pushing the envelope and imagining the unimaginable. Here, you will lead projects that challenge the status quo and define new industry standards. Work with a team that values diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive environment. Our leadership is focused on harnessing the collective power of unique perspectives to foster growth and innovation. Explore Amazon’s Employment Benefits Amazon’s commitment to its employees extends beyond just career growth. We offer competitive benefits, including health care, parental leave, and diversity training, ensuring that our team not only excels professionally but also enjoys well-being and security. Internship and Networking Opportunities Start your career with an Amazon internship and gain hands-on experience that matters. Our internships provide a gateway to full-time employment and an opportunity to network with professionals across various sectors of the company. Future-Proof Your Career With Amazon, your career path is filled with numerous opportunities for advancement. Our learning and development programs are designed to nurture your professional growth and keep you at the forefront of industry trends. Stay Connected Join Our Team Discover the job opportunities at Amazon that match your skills and interests. We are constantly on the lookout for passionate, curious, and innovative team players ready to make a difference. Keep Up to Date Stay ahead with career tips, insider perspectives, and industry-leading insights you can put to use today—all from the people who work here. Job Alert Emails Customize your subscription to receive job alerts, the latest news, and insider tips tailored to your preferences. Explore the exciting and rewarding career opportunities that await at Amazon. Amazon is more than just a company—it’s a platform for building a promising future. Whether you’re starting or looking to advance your career, Amazon offers the resources, support, and network you need to succeed. Join us, and be a part of our continuing mission to be Earth's most customer-centric company.
Learn more about Amazon
Size
1,608 employees
Market Cap
$832.6 billion
Industry
Net Income
$21.3 billion
Founded
1994
5 Year Trend
+28.1%
Revenue
$386 billion
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