Principal Forward Deployed Engineer, Forward Deployed Engineering

Amazon Web Services, Inc.; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 210,000 - 270,000; Full time

Job summary

Amazon Web Services, Inc. seeks a Principal Forward Deployed Engineer to embed with strategic enterprise customers, defining technical strategy and engineering standards for AI-powered production systems at scale.

You will write production-grade software, shape architecture across multi-workstream engagements, mentor teams, and drive reusable patterns that scale the FDE practice. US citizenship and TS/SCI with Polygraph are required.

Qualifications

• Candidate must be a US citizen with an active TS/SCI clearance with Polygraph.

Responsibilities

• Define technical strategy across engagements.
• Build production AI systems and reference architectures.
• Own production excellence at scale.
• Accelerate customer transformation at the portfolio level.
• Raise the bar for the practice.

Skills

US Citizenship

TS/SCI clearance with polygraph

Job description

Application deadline: Sep 5, 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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Basic Qualifications

• Current, active TS/SCI US Go