Amazon Defensive Security is building the next generation of security products from the ground up. We're expanding beyond threat detection into a unified platform spanning threat detection, incident response, and digital forensics, protecting all of Amazon and its subsidiaries across endpoint, cloud, network, and application vectors. This is a rare greenfield opportunity: you'll be architecting and building an AI-first product from scratch, not inheriting legacy systems.
We're looking for a Senior Software Development Engineer who thrives in ambiguity, thinks like a product architect, and brings a builder's mindset to defensive security. You'll be a technical leader on a diverse team of software and security engineers, shaping the architecture of systems that process millions of signals daily and making foundational decisions that will define how Amazon defends itself for years to come.
This isn't a typical "maintain and iterate" role. We need someone who is innovative, adaptive, and culture-first. Someone who gets energized by blank whiteboards, challenges assumptions, and inspires others to raise the bar. You'll partner directly with security leadership across Amazon to translate complex, multi-variable problems into elegant, scalable, AI-driven solutions that safeguard Amazon's infrastructure and customer data.
Key job responsibilities
Own the technical architecture of critical components within our new defensive security platform, designing for scale, low-latency, and resilience from day one
Drive the AI-first approach by identifying opportunities to apply machine learning, generative AI, and intelligent automation to detection, response, and forensics workflows
Make high-judgment technical trade-offs across distributed systems, evaluating build vs. buy, prototyping emerging technologies, and selecting architectures that balance speed-to-market with long-term durability
Influence the product roadmap in partnership with product and security leadership to define what we build, why it matters, and how it delivers customer trust at optimal business cost
Set engineering standards for the team across operational excellence, security, testing, CI/CD, and observability by leading through example
Mentor and elevate engineers around you while fostering a culture of curiosity, ownership, and psychological safety
Navigate ambiguity and drive alignment by synthesizing discordant perspectives, making data-driven decisions, and influencing across organizational boundaries
Own end-to-end delivery: design, build, test, deploy, and operate production systems with high autonomy
About the team
We're in an exciting transition: a proven threat detection team evolving into a broader Defensive Security product organization. You'll join at the inflection point, helping define the culture, the architecture, and the product itself. If you want to build something meaningful from scratch with a team that values bold ideas, intellectual honesty, and shipping fast, this is the role.
Diverse Experiences
Amazon Security values diverse experiences. Even if you do not meet all of the 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
- 5+ years of non-internship professional software development experience
- 5+ years of programming with at least one software programming language experience
- 5+ 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
- 5+ 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
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, TX, Austin - 168,100.00 - 227,400.00 USD annually
