Systems Development Engineer Jobs
Systems Development Engineer jobs are open across cloud infrastructure, enterprise software, and defense sectors, from new-grad to staff and principal levels, with specializations in build systems, CI/CD automation, and infrastructure tooling. Find a role that fits from the openings below and apply directly.
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DESCRIPTION
CIAT is the unified source for Infrastructure Operations data and BI solutions across Amazon's global data center fleet. We build and run the analytics platform that Central Ops leadership uses to manage rack install, decom, repair, logistics, capacity optimization, and network operations. The platform spans a large-scale datalake, multiple Redshift clusters, hundreds of Airflow pipelines, hundreds of AWS accounts, dozens of production QuickSight dashboards, and thousands of active users.
We need a System Development Engineer II to own platform infrastructure — the AWS accounts, application services, deployment automation, security posture, and emerging GenAI capabilities that the rest of the team builds on top of. You'll work with a senior SysDE who sets the technical direction, alongside other SysDEs and a cross-functional team of Data Engineers and BIEs who depend on your platform to ship their work.
The role is split between keeping production running (account governance, security remediation, deployment pipelines, on-call) and building new capabilities (Bedrock integration, QuickSight Q topic infrastructure, agent frameworks, self-service tooling). The GenAI platform work is early-stage — you'll help define the patterns, not just implement someone else's design.
Key job responsibilities
- Own AWS infrastructure across hundreds of accounts — cross-account access patterns, IAM governance, service control policies, LakeFormation permissions
- Build and maintain infrastructure-as-code (CDK/CloudFormation) for production services including LakeSQL, Validation Engine, TEMPO, Langley, CIAuth, and QuickSight
- Build deployment automation and CI/CD that lets Data Engineers and BIEs ship without waiting on a SysDE — the goal is self-service, not gatekeeping
- Stand up GenAI platform infrastructure — Bedrock integration, QuickSight Q topic configuration, agent systems (Spaces, Topics, Knowledge Bases, Actions), cross-account data access for AI workloads
- Drive security and compliance — Mirador/AppSec findings, patching, least-privilege IAM, security posture across production accounts
- Mentor junior SysDEs — break down complex problems into implementable pieces, review CRs, coach on architecture and operational thinking
- Reduce KTLO through automation, legacy system migration (Hammerstone Airflow/NAWS), and better tooling
A day in the life
You might start the day investigating why a cross-account LakeFormation permission is blocking a QuickSight data source, then write a CDK construct so the same misconfiguration can't happen again. Review a CR from a teammate building a Lambda for automated QuickSight group provisioning. Pair with a DE to figure out why their Airflow DAG can't reach a Glue catalog in another account. After lunch, design the infrastructure for a new Bedrock-powered feature in Langley, or write a runbook for something you've seen break twice.
The through-line: you build systems that scale through automation, not through you personally doing things. When something breaks, you fix it and then fix the system. You're always asking "how do I make this self-service so I'm not the bottleneck?"
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience in automating, deploying, and supporting large-scale infrastructure
- Experience programming with at least one modern language such as Python, Ruby, Golang, Java, C++, C#, Rust
- Experience with Linux/Unix
- Experience with CI/CD pipelines build processes
- 3+ years of non-internship professional software development experience
- 2+ years of designing or architecting (design patterns, reliability and scaling) of new and existing systems experience
- Knowledge of systems engineering fundamentals (networking, storage, operating systems)
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience with AWS technologies like Redshift, S3, AWS Glue, EMR, Kinesis, FireHose, Lambda, and IAM roles and permissions
- Experience with enterprise-scale infrastructure or development-based cloud programs/projects in a related industry
- Experience contributing to the definition and implementation of automation opportunities within an operations environment
- Experience in Redshift, or experience in any Bigdata architecture and experience in technical support
- Experience working with Data & AI related technologies, including, but not limited to, AI/ML, GenAI, Analytics, Database, and/or Storage
- Experience architecting/operating solutions built on AWS
- Experience in mentoring, leading, or managing more junior engineers
- Experience with large distributed IT systems
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.
COMPENSATION
- 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.
LOCATION
USA, OH, COLUMBUS - 129,200.00 - 174,800.00 USD annually
USA, WA, Seattle - 129,200.00 - 174,800.00 USD annually
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Find JobsSystems Development Engineer Job Market
A snapshot from current openings nationwide, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
- Amazon118

- Amazon Web Services11

- Monolithic Power Systems11

- Stellantis10

Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software125
- Electronics & Hardware36
- Consulting & Professional Services34
- Manufacturing33
- Automotive20
What Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in systems development engineer jobs.
- Proficiency with CI/CD tools such as Jenkins, GitHub Actions, or TeamCity
- Experience designing or maintaining large-scale build systems using Bazel, CMake, or Make
- Strong scripting and automation skills in Python, Bash, or Go
- Familiarity with cloud infrastructure platforms including AWS, GCP, or Azure
- Bachelor's degree in computer science, software engineering, or a related field
- Experience with containerization and orchestration tools such as Docker and Kubernetes
Tips for Your Systems Development Engineer Job Search
Tailor your resume to the stack
Systems development engineer roles vary widely by tech stack. Rewrite your skills section for each application to mirror the exact tools listed, whether that's Bazel, CMake, Jenkins, or Terraform, so your resume clears automated screening before a human reads it.
Showcase measurable build improvements
Hiring teams want proof you cut build times or reduced flaky tests. Quantify your impact on CI pipelines, artifact management, or deployment frequency. Even a rough order-of-magnitude improvement is more compelling than a list of tools you've used.
Filter by team type, not just title
Some systems development engineer openings sit on developer-experience teams, others on release engineering or platform infrastructure. Read the team description carefully. The day-to-day work, the codebase size, and the interview process differ significantly across these contexts.
Apply early to roles that fit
Migrate Mate lists systems development engineer openings from across the United States in one place, so you can find roles that match and apply directly to each listing.
Prepare a systems design answer for build architecture
Expect at least one interview question on designing a large-scale build or release system from scratch. Practice explaining trade-offs between monorepo and polyrepo setups, caching strategies, and distributed build execution, since these come up repeatedly in systems development engineer loops.
Negotiate scope into your offer, not just salary
Once you have an offer, ask about ownership of roadmap items and cross-team influence. Systems development engineers who own meaningful infrastructure projects advance faster, so the scope of your first project matters as much as the starting level or compensation band.
Systems Development Engineer Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies are hiring the most systems development engineers?
The companies hiring the most systems development engineers right now include Amazon, Amazon Web Services, and Monolithic Power Systems, with the largest share of openings in California, Texas, and Washington, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of June 2026. Demand is especially concentrated at companies with large internal developer platforms or complex distributed build infrastructure.
How many systems development engineer jobs are remote?
About 16% of systems development engineer openings are fully remote or hybrid as of June 2026, reflecting the infrastructure-heavy nature of the role. Sub-areas focused on CI/CD tooling, developer experience, and internal platform work tend to have the highest remote availability, while roles tied to on-premises hardware or classified government systems are more likely to require on-site presence.
How do you become a systems development engineer?
Start by building fluency in at least one scripting language, typically Python or Bash, and get hands-on experience with a CI/CD platform through personal or open-source projects. From there, deepen your understanding of build systems and dependency management, contribute to developer-tooling projects to demonstrate real impact, and pursue roles on platform or release engineering teams where you can own infrastructure end-to-end.
Can you get a systems development engineer job with little experience?
Yes, entry-level systems development engineer roles exist, but they typically expect demonstrated familiarity with build pipelines or scripting even without formal job titles. Contributing to open-source build tooling, publishing automation scripts publicly, or completing an internship on a platform team signals the practical mindset hiring managers look for, making experience type more important than years on a resume.
What does the systems development engineer interview process look like?
The process usually includes an initial recruiter screen, a technical phone interview covering scripting or build-system concepts, and a multi-stage loop with coding exercises, systems design questions focused on build or release architecture, and a behavioral round. Some companies add a take-home exercise involving a real CI configuration or pipeline optimization problem, so expect to demonstrate both code quality and infrastructure reasoning.
Where can I find and apply to systems development engineer jobs?
You can find and apply to systems development engineer jobs on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from across the United States. Search the listings to find roles that match your experience and specialization, then apply directly to each one that fits.
See All 392+ Systems Development Engineer Jobs
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