📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Systems Engineer II, AWS Operations Management (AWSOM)
Company: Amazon
Location: Herndon, Virginia
Job Type: On-site
Category: Systems Engineer
Date Posted: June 12, 2025
Experience Level: Mid-level (2-5 years)
Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

Manage day-to-day operations for AWS Regions while driving long-term engineering projects to reduce operational toil.
Improve availability, reliability, latency, performance, and efficiency of AWS services.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure customer needs are met and exceeded.
Balance operational tasks with long-term software engineering to reduce toil and improve systems.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role combines operational responsibilities with long-term engineering projects, making it an excellent fit for candidates eager to drive change and improve large-scale systems.

💻 Primary Responsibilities

Operational Management: Oversee day-to-day operations for AWS Regions, ensuring service availability, latency, performance, efficiency, change management, and monitoring.
Long-term Engineering: Drive technical, business, and cultural change to improve reliability, performance, and efficiency of AWS services.
Collaboration: Work closely with service teams to build resilience and reliability into products, influencing customer experience.
Problem-solving: Troubleshoot and resolve complex issues in large-scale software systems, minimizing operational toil.
Automation: Develop and implement systems automation to reduce manual effort and improve operational efficiency.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role requires a strong balance between operational tasks and long-term engineering projects, making it ideal for candidates who enjoy both day-to-day operations and strategic planning.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field. Relevant work experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.

Experience: 3+ years of experience in Systems Engineering, DevOps, Site Reliability Engineering (SRE), or Enterprise Production in Linux or similar environments.

Required Skills:

Proficient in Linux, networking, and storage systems.
Proficient in a scripting language (Python, Perl, Shell, Bash, Ruby, PowerShell, etc.).
Experience operating in a 24/7 production environment.
Strong problem-solving skills and a customer-focused mindset.
Ability to work independently and in a team environment.

Preferred Skills:

3+ years of experience with cloud computing technologies.
3+ years of networking experience.
2+ years of experience with support procedures and methodologies for production computing environments.
Development of systems automation in a scripting language.
Experience with AWS services and products.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the role requires a strong technical background, it also emphasizes the importance of customer focus and collaboration, making soft skills a crucial aspect of success in this role.

📊 Web Portfolio & Project Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:
- Demonstrate experience with Linux, networking, and storage systems through relevant projects.
- Showcase scripting proficiency through automation scripts or tools developed.
- Highlight problem-solving skills with case studies of complex issues resolved.
- Include any experience with AWS services or products, if applicable.
Technical Documentation:
- Include documentation for any scripts or tools developed, demonstrating code quality, commenting, and documentation standards.
- Showcase experience with version control, deployment processes, and server configuration through relevant projects.
- Highlight testing methodologies, performance metrics, and optimization techniques used in previous roles.

📝 Enhancement Note: As this role involves both operational management and long-term engineering, candidates should highlight their ability to balance short-term tasks with strategic planning in their portfolio.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $120,000 - $160,000 per year (based on regional market rates for mid-level Systems Engineers in the Washington D.C. area)

Benefits:

Comprehensive health, dental, and vision care plans.
401(k) matching.
Generous paid time off and holidays.
Employee stock awards and purchase plans.
Tuition reimbursement and professional development opportunities.
On-site services, including childcare, fitness centers, and more.

Working Hours: Full-time (40 hours/week) with on-call rotations for 24/7 production environment support.

📝 Enhancement Note: While Amazon does not provide salary information for this role, the estimated salary range is based on regional market rates for mid-level Systems Engineers and the company's reputation for competitive compensation.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Amazon is a multinational technology company focused on e-commerce, cloud computing, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence.

Company Size: Amazon is a large corporation with over 1.3 million employees worldwide, providing ample opportunities for career growth and collaboration.

Founded: 1994, with a strong focus on innovation, customer obsession, and operational excellence.

Team Structure:

The AWS Operations Management (AWSOM) team is responsible for launching a new offering that drives security, availability, performance, and efficiency improvements to operate AWS Regions globally.
The team aims to remove operational toil through automation, increase collaboration, and bridge development and operations while prioritizing customer needs.

Development Methodology:

AWSOM uses Agile methodologies, such as Scrum, to manage projects and deliver value to customers.
The team prioritizes collaboration, continuous improvement, and customer focus in its development processes.

Company Website: www.amazon.com

📝 Enhancement Note: Amazon's company culture emphasizes innovation, customer obsession, and operational excellence, making it an ideal environment for Systems Engineers eager to drive change and improve large-scale systems.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Web Technology Career Level: Mid-level Systems Engineer, responsible for managing day-to-day operations and driving long-term engineering projects to improve AWS services.

Reporting Structure: This role reports directly to the AWSOM team, collaborating with cross-functional teams to ensure customer needs are met and exceeded.

Technical Impact: Systems Engineers in this role directly influence the experience of AWS customers by recommending service teams build resilience and reliability into products at the forefront.

Growth Opportunities:

Technical Growth: Develop expertise in AWS services and products, expanding knowledge of cloud computing technologies.
Leadership Growth: Gain experience managing teams and driving strategic initiatives, preparing for future leadership roles.
Career Progression: Transition into more senior Systems Engineering roles, or explore other technical paths within Amazon, such as Site Reliability Engineering or DevOps.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers significant growth opportunities for candidates eager to expand their technical expertise, gain leadership experience, and advance their careers within Amazon.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Amazon's Herndon office is a modern, collaborative workspace designed to foster innovation and productivity.

Office Location(s): Herndon, Virginia, with easy access to public transportation and nearby amenities.

Workspace Context:

Collaboration: The office features open workspaces, encouraging team collaboration and communication.
Tools & Equipment: Amazon provides state-of-the-art hardware and software tools to support employee productivity and development.
Work-Life Balance: The company offers flexible work arrangements, such as part-time work and job sharing, to help employees achieve a healthy work-life balance.

Work Schedule: Full-time (40 hours/week) with on-call rotations for 24/7 production environment support. Amazon encourages work-life balance and provides flexible scheduling options when possible.

📝 Enhancement Note: Amazon's work environment emphasizes collaboration, innovation, and work-life balance, making it an attractive choice for Systems Engineers seeking a supportive and engaging workplace.

📄 Application & Technical Interview Process

Interview Process:

Phone Screen: A brief conversation to assess communication skills, cultural fit, and technical background.
Technical Deep Dive: A comprehensive technical interview focusing on systems engineering, cloud computing, and scripting language proficiency.
Behavioral Interview: An in-depth discussion of problem-solving skills, customer focus, and collaboration, using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).
Final Interview: A meeting with the hiring manager to discuss the role, team dynamics, and career growth opportunities.

Portfolio Review Tips:

Highlight relevant projects that demonstrate Linux, networking, and storage systems experience.
Showcase scripting proficiency through automation scripts or tools developed.
Include any experience with AWS services or products, if applicable.
Emphasize problem-solving skills and customer focus in project case studies.

Technical Challenge Preparation:

Brush up on Linux, networking, and storage systems knowledge.
Practice scripting language exercises to demonstrate proficiency.
Familiarize yourself with AWS services and products, if applicable.
Prepare for behavioral interview questions using the STAR method.

ATS Keywords: (Organized by category)

Programming Languages: Python, Perl, Shell, Bash, Ruby, PowerShell
Web Frameworks: N/A
Server Technologies: Linux, AWS, Cloud Computing
Databases: N/A
Tools: Scripting languages, AWS services and products
Methodologies: Agile, Scrum, Site Reliability Engineering (SRE)
Soft Skills: Problem-solving, customer focus, collaboration, communication
Industry Terms: Systems Engineering, DevOps, Site Reliability Engineering (SRE), Operational Efficiency, Change Management, Monitoring

📝 Enhancement Note: Amazon's interview process emphasizes technical proficiency, problem-solving skills, and cultural fit, making it essential for candidates to prepare thoroughly and showcase their unique strengths in the role.

🛠 Technology Stack & Web Infrastructure

Frontend Technologies: N/A (This role focuses on systems engineering and does not involve frontend development)

Backend & Server Technologies:

Linux (Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Amazon Linux)
AWS Services and Products (EC2, RDS, S3, etc.)
Scripting Languages (Python, Perl, Shell, Bash, Ruby, PowerShell)

Development & DevOps Tools:

AWS CloudFormation
AWS Systems Manager
AWS CloudWatch
Git (for version control and collaboration)

📝 Enhancement Note: This role requires proficiency in Linux, AWS services and products, and scripting languages, making it crucial for candidates to demonstrate strong technical skills in these areas.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Web Development Values:

Customer Obsession: Focus on customer needs and exceed expectations in all aspects of the role.
Ownership: Take responsibility for driving results and delivering on commitments.
Invent and Simplify: Continuously innovate and simplify processes to improve efficiency and effectiveness.
Learn and Be Curious: Stay curious and seek out new knowledge and skills to drive personal and professional growth.

Collaboration Style:

Bias for Action: Make decisions and take action, even in the face of uncertainty.
Frugality: Focus on efficiency and cost-effectiveness in all aspects of the role.
Earn Trust: Build relationships based on trust and respect, fostering a collaborative and inclusive team environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: Amazon's team culture emphasizes customer obsession, innovation, and collaboration, making it an ideal environment for Systems Engineers eager to drive change and improve large-scale systems.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Technical Challenges:

Operational Management: Balance day-to-day operations with long-term engineering projects to minimize operational toil and improve AWS services.
Problem-solving: Troubleshoot and resolve complex issues in large-scale software systems, demonstrating strong technical skills and a customer-focused mindset.
Automation: Develop and implement systems automation to reduce manual effort and improve operational efficiency.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

Technical Skills: Expand knowledge of AWS services and products, cloud computing technologies, and scripting languages.
Leadership Skills: Gain experience managing teams and driving strategic initiatives, preparing for future leadership roles.
Career Progression: Transition into more senior Systems Engineering roles, or explore other technical paths within Amazon, such as Site Reliability Engineering or DevOps.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers significant technical challenges and learning opportunities for candidates eager to expand their skills, gain leadership experience, and advance their careers within Amazon.

💡 Interview Preparation

Technical Questions:

Linux: Demonstrate proficiency in Linux commands, file system navigation, and system administration tasks.
AWS: Showcase knowledge of AWS services and products, such as EC2, RDS, and S3, and their use cases.
Scripting Languages: Prepare for coding challenges and debugging exercises in your preferred scripting language.

Company & Culture Questions:

Customer Focus: Explain how you've gone above and beyond to meet customer needs in previous roles.
Innovation: Describe a time when you identified an opportunity to improve a process or system and drove the change to implement it.
Collaboration: Share an example of a successful cross-functional project you've worked on and the role you played in its success.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

Technical Walkthrough: Prepare a live demo or presentation of your portfolio projects, highlighting your technical skills and problem-solving abilities.
Storytelling: Use the STAR method to structure your project case studies, focusing on the situation, task, action, and result.
Q&A: Practice answering technical and behavioral interview questions, focusing on your unique strengths and experiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: Amazon's interview process emphasizes technical proficiency, problem-solving skills, and cultural fit, making it essential for candidates to prepare thoroughly and showcase their unique strengths in the role.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Systems Engineer II, AWS Operations Management (AWSOM) position at Amazon:

Submit your application through the Amazon Jobs website.
Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to highlight relevant projects that demonstrate your Linux, networking, and storage systems experience, as well as your scripting language proficiency and problem-solving skills.
Resume Optimization: Optimize your resume for web development and server administration roles, emphasizing your technical skills, project highlights, and customer focus.
Technical Interview Preparation: Brush up on your Linux, AWS, and scripting language skills, and practice coding challenges and behavioral interview questions using the STAR method.
Company Research: Thoroughly research Amazon's company culture, values, and team dynamics to ensure a strong cultural fit and understanding of the role's expectations.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and web technology industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.

Systems Engineer II, AWS Operations Management (AWSOM)