Principal Forward Deployed Engineer, Forward Deployed Engineering

Socket.dev; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 200,000 - 271,000; Full time

Job summary

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is seeking a Principal Forward Deployed Engineer (Principal FDE) to embed with strategic enterprise customers, defining technical strategy and engineering standards for AI-powered production systems at scale.

The role combines hands-on software delivery with high‑level architectural leadership, including multi-workstream decisions, reusable architectures, and governance across customer engagements. U.S. citizenship and active TS/SCI with Polygraph are required.

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, or 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/ML platforms used across multiple products or customers.
• Experience with enterprise-scale agentic workflows, multi-agent orchestration, or AI system governance.

Responsibilities

• Set the technical direction for the most complex, highest-stakes customer AI programs, influencing strategic decisions across multiple workstreams.
• Design and build foundational architectures, including multi-agent orchestration frameworks and retrieval/decision platforms used as templates for future engagements.
• Define operational standards, evaluation frameworks, and production readiness criteria for AI systems across the practice.
• Identify opportunities to expand AI adoption across customer ecosystems and create reusable accelerators and architectures.
• Define engineering excellence standards and guide career growth for senior technical talent, while representing the practice to leadership and customers.

Skills

Leadership

Architecture design

AI/ML platforms

Cross-team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/Engineering

Master's degree or above

Tools

Agent orchestration frameworks

Decision intelligence platforms

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

• - 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.
• - 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.
• - 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.
• - 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.
• - 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.

10047 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.

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.

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, CO, Denver - 200,100.00 - 270,600.00 USD annually

USA, NY, New York - 220,100.00 - 297,700.00 USD annually

USA, VA, Arlington - 200,100.00 - 270,600.00 USD annually

USA, WA, Seattle - 200,100.00 - 270,600.00 USD annually