Principal Forward Deployed Engineer, Forward Deployed Engineering

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Arlington (VA)

On-site

USD 200,000 - 271,000

Full time

15 hours ago

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Benefits offered by this job

RSUs and sign-on benefits

Job summary

Amazon Web Services, Inc. is seeking a Principal Forward Deployed Engineer in Arlington, VA to embed with strategic enterprise customers and define the technical strategy for AI-powered production systems at scale.

The role combines hands-on software delivery with strategic influence, building reusable architectures and setting engineering standards across multi-workstream engagements. Requires US citizenship and active TS/SCI clearance with Polygraph.

Qualifications

Active TS/SCI clearance and US citizenship.
10+ years of professional software development experience.
Bachelor's degree in CS, engineering or related field.
8+ years leading design and architecture of large-scale production systems.
Experience building production AI/ML platforms and governance.

Responsibilities

Define technical strategy across engagements and set direction for complex AI programs.
Build production AI systems and reference architectures at scale across multi-workstream efforts.
Own production excellence: define standards, evaluation frameworks, and readiness criteria.
Accelerate transformation by creating reusable platforms and accelerators for customers.
Lead engineering standards, mentorship, and career growth within the FDE practice.
Engage with senior leadership to influence roadmaps and drive high-impact outcomes.

Skills

Security clearance

Production software

System architecture

Leadership

Travel up to 25%

Education

Bachelor's in CS/Engineering

Master's preferred

Job description

Description

Application deadline: Sep 15, 2026

A Principal Forward Deployed Engineer (Principal FDE) embeds across multiple strategic enterprise customers to define the technical strategy and engineering standards for AI-powered production systems at scale. Principal FDEs write production-grade software, set the technical direction for complex multi-workstream engagements, and create the reusable architectures, patterns, and engineering mechanisms that scale the entire FDE practice - combining the technical depth of an AWS Principal SDE with the strategic influence required to deliver transformational customer business outcomes.

Principal FDEs independently lead software delivery across an organization. They drive clarity where neither the business problem nor technology strategy is well defined. They solve problems with non-technical solutions such as process improvement, culture changes, or staffing and training. They set the standard for engineering excellence, handle escalations, and drive closure with peers, Directors, and stakeholders. They are force multipliers whose impact extends well beyond any single engagement.

This position requires that the candidate selected be a US Citizen and currently possess and maintain an active TS/SCI clearance with Polygraph.

Key job responsibilities

Define technical strategy across engagements.
Set the technical direction for the most complex, highest-stakes customer AI programs. Be a key influencer for strategic decisions, bringing technology and industry context to business decisions. Make architecture decisions that span multiple workstreams, services, and organizational boundaries. Requires up to 25% travel.
Build production AI systems and reference architectures. Design and build the foundational architectures - multi-agent orchestration frameworks, enterprise-grade retrieval systems, decision intelligence platforms - that become the template for future engagements. Tackle intrinsically hard problems, acquiring expertise as needed. Solve problems that are significantly complex not only because of technical complexity. Remain hands-on, focusing time on code and code reviews that have the most impact.
Own production excellence at scale. Define the operational standards, evaluation frameworks, and production readiness criteria for AI systems across the FDE practice. Establish mechanisms that ensure AI systems remain healthy across all active engagements.
Accelerate customer transformation at the portfolio level. Identify systemic opportunities to expand AI adoption across multiple customer organizations. Create accelerators, reference architectures, and reusable platforms that reduce time-to-value. Influence AWS product roadmaps based on patterns observed across customers.
Raise the bar for the practice. Define engineering excellence standards for the FDE organization. Guide the career growth of the most senior technical talent. Participate in performance evaluations and advocate for the careers of others. Help the Principal Engineering community grow through internal reviews, interviews, and promotion assessments. Represent the FDE practice to AWS VP-level leadership and customer C-suite executives. Drive hiring bar and calibration for the FDE job family.

About The Team

ABOUT AWS:

Diverse Experiences
Amazon 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.

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.

Inclusive Team Culture
AWS values curiosity and connection. Our employee-led and company-sponsored affinity groups promote inclusion and empower our people to take pride in what makes us unique. Our inclusion events foster stronger, more collaborative teams. Our continual innovation is fueled by the bold ideas, fresh perspectives, and passionate voices our teams bring to everything we do.

Mentorship and 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.

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Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status.

Our inclusive culture empowers Amazonians to deliver the best results for our customers. If you have a disability and need a workplace accommodation or adjustment during the application and hiring process, including support for the interview or onboarding process, please visit https://amazon.jobs/content/en/how-we-hire/accommodations for more information. If the country/region you’re applying in isn’t listed, please contact your Recruiting Partner.

Basic Qualifications

Current, active TS/SCI US Government Security Clearance
10+ years of non-internship professional software development experience
Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, a related field, or equivalent experience
8+ years of experience leading the design and architecture of large-scale production systems in customer-facing or enterprise environments
Experience building production AI or ML platforms used across multiple products or customers
Experience with enterprise-scale agentic workflows, multi-agent orchestration, or AI system governance

Preferred Qualifications

Experience communicating across technical and non-technical audiences, including executive level stakeholders or clients
Experience in executive level engagement with SVP/VP/C-suite
Master's degree or above in computer science or equivalent
Experience creating reusable architectures or platforms adopted across an organization
Experience defining technical strategy and engineering standards as a principal engineer or tech lead influencing multi-team decisions
Experience influencing product roadmaps through engineering insights

Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status.

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.