Systems Development Manager
Description
Lead engineering teams building and maintaining the secure cloud infrastructure supporting Australia's most critical national security missions.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is seeking an experienced engineering leader to join its Region Services team, driving operational excellence, technical innovation and the development of highly resilient cloud infrastructure.
This is an opportunity to combine hands-on technical expertise with people leadership, shaping both the systems and engineering teams that support Australia's most sensitive workloads.
Security Clearance Requirements
Applicants must be Australian citizens and hold, or be eligible to obtain, an Australian Government Security Clearance, with the ability to successfully complete an Organisational Suitability Assessment.
More information regarding security clearances is available at:
About the Role
As a senior engineering leader within AWS Region Services, you'll be responsible for developing the automation, operational tooling and systems that enable highly secure cloud infrastructure to operate reliably at scale.
You'll lead and mentor engineers, contribute to the design of complex distributed systems and drive improvements that reduce manual processes, enhance service resilience and improve operational efficiency.
This is a role where technical leadership and practical engineering experience go hand in hand.
Your work will directly support the reliability and performance of infrastructure used by Australia's national security community.
Key Job Responsibilities
Engineering Leadership and Team Development
- Lead, recruit, develop and mentor systems and software engineers.
- Build high-performing teams focused on engineering excellence and operational reliability.
- Provide technical direction, design guidance and engineering oversight.
- Support professional development through coaching, technical reviews and knowledge sharing.
- Collaborate with engineering leaders and stakeholders across AWS.
Systems Engineering and Automation
- Design, develop and deploy operational tools that automate manual infrastructure management processes.
- Build and maintain reliable services operating at significant scale.
- Improve monitoring, diagnostics and automated incident response capabilities.
- Develop engineering solutions that enhance system reliability, performance and operational efficiency.
- Apply sound software engineering practices throughout the development lifecycle.
Operational Excellence and Incident Management
- Monitor service health and identify potential reliability issues.
- Lead technical investigations into complex systems and infrastructure problems.
- Diagnose and resolve issues across interconnected distributed systems.
- Improve incident response processes and reduce recurring operational problems.
- Participate in 24/7 on-call rotations to support critical service availability.
Technical Strategy and Collaboration
- Work with distributed systems architects and engineering teams to address infrastructure scalability challenges.
- Contribute to technical design reviews, architecture decisions and engineering standards.
- Partner with product and programme management teams to define requirements and delivery priorities.
- Promote continuous improvement through code reviews, testing, automation and operational best practices.
- Support the delivery of scalable, secure and maintainable technical solutions.
A Day in the Life
Your day might begin reviewing service health dashboards, checking the performance of automated infrastructure processes and identifying opportunities to improve system reliability.
You could then work alongside engineers to develop new tools that reduce incident response times, improve diagnostics or automate repetitive operational tasks.
Throughout the day, you'll lead technical design discussions, review code, mentor team members and collaborate with specialists across networking, systems engineering and distributed infrastructure.
You may also contribute to complex troubleshooting activities, using Linux administration and network diagnostic tools to investigate issues and identify their root causes.
As an engineering leader, you'll balance strategic planning and team development with practical technical involvement, ensuring your team continues to deliver reliable services as infrastructure scales.
About the Team
AWS Region Services provides operational solutions and cleared technical support for services operating within secure AWS Regions.
The team delivers hands-on technical support by deploying changes into isolated environments, monitoring results and identifying and reporting operational issues.
You'll work with experienced engineers and technical specialists responsible for maintaining the security, reliability and operational performance of AWS infrastructure.
Why AWS?
Amazon Web Services is one of the world's leading cloud computing platforms, supporting organisations ranging from emerging businesses to major global enterprises.
AWS offers opportunities to work on complex technical challenges, collaborate with experienced engineering professionals and contribute to infrastructure operating at significant scale.
Career Development and Culture
AWS values diverse experiences, continuous learning and inclusive leadership.
Employees benefit from:
- Professional development and technical learning resources.
- Mentorship and knowledge sharing across engineering teams.
- Leadership development and career progression opportunities.
- Collaboration with technical experts across AWS's global network.
- Employee-led communities and inclusion initiatives.
- A workplace culture that encourages innovation, ownership and continuous improvement.
AWS also promotes work-life harmony and flexibility as part of its working culture.
Candidates from non-traditional career backgrounds are encouraged to apply, even if they don't meet every preferred qualification.
Basic Qualifications
- At least 5 years of experience managing systems or software development teams.
- At least 7 years of relevant hands-on systems engineering and administration experience across networking, storage systems and operating systems.
- At least 7 years of experience leading the definition and development of multi-tier web services.
- Knowledge of engineering practices across the full software, hardware and networking development lifecycle, including coding standards, code reviews, source control management, build processes, testing, certification and live-site operations.
- Experience partnering with product or programme management teams.
Preferred Qualifications
- Strong knowledge of professional software engineering practices across the full software development lifecycle, including software architecture, coding standards, code reviews, source control, continuous deployment, testing and operational excellence.
- Knowledge of systems engineering fundamentals, including networking, storage and operating systems.
- Experience with AWS platforms, services and architectural design patterns.
- Experience communicating with users, technical teams and senior leadership to gather requirements, explain technical designs, describe product features and contribute to product strategy.
Acknowledgement of Country
In the spirit of reconciliation, Amazon acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.
Inclusion, Diversity and Equity
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 require a workplace accommodation or adjustment during the application, interview or onboarding process, please visit:
https://amazon.jobs/content/en/how-we-hire/accommodations
If your country or region isn't listed, please contact your Recruiting Partner.