Principal Engineer — Real-Time Cloud Networking

Amazon Web Services (AWS); Santa Clara (CA); On-site; USD 230,000 - 311,000; Full time

Job summary

Amazon Web Services, Inc. seeks Principal Engineers to join AWS Network Services in the Santa Clara area. You will define the technical direction for distributed systems powering AWS workloads where microseconds matter, and partner with Product Management to shape new, scalable network products.

You will own end-to-end delivery across multiple teams, turning customer and service intent into working network state across planes, with a focus on high reliability and performance at cloud scale.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of professional software development experience.
• Experience owning technical architecture, end-to-end delivery, and partnering with senior leadership.
• Track record of leading multiple concurrent technical initiatives and driving decisions across organizational boundaries.
• Experience influencing VP/SVP-level technical and business strategy.
• Deep expertise in at least one domain: real-time transport protocols (WebRTC, QUIC), DNS, distributed systems, network architecture, web security, game backend systems, large-scale packet processing, or cloud virtual networking and data-plane systems (e.g. VPC-style resource/distribution control, SmartNIC/DPU or Nitro-class pipelines).
• Strong programming skills in C/C++, Rust, Go, or Java

Responsibilities

• Set the technical direction for systems that power AWS workloads where microseconds matter.
• Lead architecture decisions with Product Management to shape product roadmaps.
• Drive end-to-end delivery of distributed systems, from concept to production.
• Turn customer and service intent into working network state across planes.
• Own contracts and scale models to keep VPC scaling fast and reliable.

Skills

Technical leadership

Architecture

Cross-functional collaboration

Delivery leadership

C/C++

Rust

Go

Java

Education

Advanced degree

Tools

C/C++

Rust

Go

Java

Job description

Amazon Web Services, Inc. seeks Principal Engineers to join AWS Network Services in the Santa Clara area. You will define the technical direction for distributed systems powering AWS workloads where microseconds matter, and partner with Product Management to shape new, scalable network products.

You will own end-to-end delivery across multiple teams, turning customer and service intent into working network state across planes, with a focus on high reliability and performance at cloud scale.