Principal Software Engineer, Distributed Coding Agents, Kiro

Amazon • $200K — $270K *

Seattle, WA 98115In-Person

Information Technology

11 - 15 years of experience

Today

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Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

12+ years of professional software development experience
12+ years leading design or architecture of systems
Mentorship or technical lead experience
Experience with full software development life cycle
Bachelor's degree in computer science or equivalent
Familiarity with AI/ML agent systems and multi-agent coordination
Background in observability for distributed workflows

Responsibilities

Design systems for low latency, high reliability multi-step agentic workflows
Drive integration strategy with rapidly evolving model landscape
Define architecture for multi-agent coordination and swarms
Build visibility systems for agent behavior observability at scale
Solve context management challenges across agent swarms
Own system performance and scalability impacting developer productivity
Set technical direction for rapid architectural iteration

Benefits

Comprehensive health insurance including medical, dental, and vision
401(k) matching
Paid time off and parental leave
Mental Health Support and EAP services
Flexible Spending Accounts
Adoption and Surrogacy reimbursement coverage

Full Job Description

Principal Engineers provide technical leadership at Amazon. They help establish technical standards and drive Amazon's overall technical architecture, engineering practices, and engineering methodologies. They work on our hardest problems, building high-quality, architecturally sound systems that are aligned with our business needs. They think globally when building systems, ensuring Amazon builds high-performing, scalable systems that fit well together. Principal Engineers are pragmatic visionaries who can translate business needs into workable technology solutions. Their expertise is deep and broad. They are hands on, producing both detailed technical work and high-level architectural designs.

On the Kiro team, this means leading the technical direction for agentic AI systems that power Kiro, Amazon's GenAI coding assistant. You'll work at the intersection of distributed systems and AI agent design, defining how multi-agent workflows are built, orchestrated, and scaled.

Key job responsibilities
• Designing and evolving the systems that orchestrate multi-step agentic workflows across multiple LLM models with low latency and high reliability
• Driving integration strategy across model providers and internal science teams as the model landscape rapidly evolves
• Defining agent orchestration architecture - designing patterns for multi-agent coordination, agent swarms, and tiered agent architectures
• Building orchestration visibility systems - creating mechanisms that make agent behavior observable, debuggable, and controllable at scale
• Solving context management at scale - architecting solutions for context sharing across agent swarms and multi-agent workflows
• Owning performance and scalability for systems where latency directly impacts developer productivity
• Setting the technical direction for a team that rapidly iterates on its architecture to stay at the frontier
• Serving as the technical anchor for ambiguous, open-ended problems and influencing how agentic AI systems are built across Amazon

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
• 12+ years of non-internship professional software development experience
• 12+ years of leading design or architecture (design patterns, reliability and scaling) of new and existing systems experience
• Experience as a mentor, tech lead or leading an engineering team

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
• 12+ years of full software development life cycle, including coding standards, code reviews, source control management, build processes, testing, and operations experience
• Bachelor's degree in computer science or equivalent
• Experience with AI/ML agent systems, multi-agent coordination, or workflow orchestration patterns
• Background in building observability, debugging, or monitoring systems for complex distributed workflows
• Track record of solving intrinsically hard problems in areas like context management, state coordination, optimization, network communication, autonomous system control
• Experience scaling platforms from individual users to team and enterprise deployments
• Contributions to open-source projects in agent frameworks, orchestration tools, or developer platforms
• Rust proficiency or experience with database internals / query engine / storage system design

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 - 200,100.00 - 270,600.00 USD annually

About Amazon

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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

Retail & Consumer Goods

Net Income

$21.3 billion

Founded

1994

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