Principal Systems Development Engineer, Region Services

Principal Systems Development Engineer, Region Services

Job ID: | AWS EMEA SARL (UK Branch)

AWS is looking for a talented Principal Engineer with a focus on DevOps / SRE / Systems Development Engineering to join our fast‑moving, passionate Region Services team in the UK. This role is based in London. You will help AWS implement innovative cloud‑computing solutions and solve our most complex technical problems. Amazon Web Services (AWS) builds and operates some of the largest internet infrastructure on the planet; providing organisations of all sizes with web‑services infrastructure in the cloud. Using AWS, customers can provision compute power, storage, database, and other cloud resources as their business demands. To meet the growing demand for AWS Services around the globe, we need exceptionally motivated people who are driven by learning and innovation.

In this UK role, you’ll be part of a world‑class team in an exciting environment that has the entrepreneurial feel of a start‑up. This is an opportunity to operate and engineer systems on a massive scale, surrounded by people who are passionate about cloud computing, believe that first‑class service is critical to customer success, and are committed to continuous improvement.

The role will own automation, improvement and simplification of operational and business workflows. You will identify and resolve systemic issues, automate and improve inefficient processes, and work closely with development teams, operational teams, solutions architects, and customers/partners to strengthen our services. You will lead the exploration and prioritisation of operational issues and development programmes, driving automation design and scaling requirements to support AWS regions in the UK and worldwide.

The Principal Engineer will be both a technical leader and an evangelist, leading cross‑functional teams for broad outcomes and solving complex business and architectural problems. Your work will be primarily strategic, encompassing systems design, architecture, software development and process improvement. You must be a practitioner of resilience engineering who defines the standards for engineering best practices and operational excellence.

Our team values work‑life harmony. We strive to offer flexible schedules so you can have a more productive and well‑balanced life both in and outside of work.

Utility Computing (UC)

AWS Utility Computing (UC) provides product innovations — from foundational services such as Amazon’s Simple Storage Service (S3) and Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2), to consistently released new product innovations that continue to set AWS’s services and features apart in the industry.

As a member of the UC organization, you’ll support the development and management of Compute, Database, Storage, Internet of Things (IoT), Platform, and Productivity Apps services in AWS, including support for customers who require specialised security solutions for their cloud services.

Key Job Responsibilities

Initial focus (2025) : Provide support and guidance as the department prepares to bring the service online and receive customer traffic for the first time. Measure all types of operational activity in the local teams, coordinate and drive associated process adoption and improvements to operational efficiencies; CI/CD pipelines, metrics collection, performance of the local service, raising the bar for consistency and quality through automation. The main focus in the service’s early phase will be on operational performance alone, but innovation will be encouraged.

Future focus (2026) : Help us understand new customer needs in this service, leading to (1) new AWS service features and improvements for worldwide use, and (2) designing and developing new capabilities with our customers. The role will focus on understanding massive‑scale customer problems and finding solutions we can build, either as extensions to existing services or as entirely new services. The Principal Engineer will capture requirements, conceptualise designs, and collaborate with local service product teams to deliver and launch new products in the UK.

Key Inputs

• Define and iterate operational improvement framework
• Mentor local, junior engineers
• Build relationships with US teams and PEs
• Promote and maintain Amazon day‑one culture across the department

You will need to be a UK national and able to obtain and maintain a UK Government Security Clearance. Further details: UK Security Clearance Levels .

About the Team

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

Here at AWS, it’s in our nature to learn and be curious. Our employee‑led affinity groups foster a culture of inclusion that empowers us to be proud of our differences. Ongoing events and learning experiences, including our Conversations on Race and Ethnicity (CORE) and AmazeCon (diversity) conferences, inspire us to never stop embracing our uniqueness.

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.

Basic Qualifications

• Experience working with complex distributed systems
• Excellent coding skills with the ability to develop high‑quality software solutions while mentoring existing engineers in best practice
• Expertise in systems design (single component and multiple distributed)
• Our service portfolio is broad, so breadth of experience will be important.

Preferred Qualifications

• Large (enterprise) scale experience is essential, preferably in highly complex, and/or heavily regulated industry sectors.
• Start‑up experience would also be advantageous (complementary to large‑scale/high‑complexity experience).
• The ability to dive deep into specific problems, around automation, security and general operational excellence.
• Cryptography, cross‑domain and deep security experience are all desired but not essential.

AWS is an equal‑opportunity employer. We believe passionately that employing a diverse workforce is central to our success. We make recruiting decisions based on your experience and skills. Protecting your privacy and the security of your data is a longstanding top priority for Amazon. Please consult our Privacy Notice to know more about how we collect, use and transfer the personal data of our candidates.

AWS is an equal‑opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status. 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 accommodations for more information. If the country/region you’re applying in isn’t listed, please contact your recruiting partner.

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