Principal/Senior Principal Engineer, Data Center Physical Infrastructure, Data Center Engineering

Data Center Engineering operates at the intersection of architecture, engineering, and construction — and every facility we deliver goes into production infrastructure serving the world's most demanding workloads. There's no prototype that sits on a shelf. You see it through from concept to global deployment.

As a Principal or Senior Principal Engineer here, you'll set the technical direction for the physical infrastructure that makes AWS possible.

That means making the calls that ripple across the entire delivery lifecycle: defining cooling architectures that allow facilities to achieve industry-leading efficiency, driving energy storage strategies that shape AWS's resiliency and decarbonization trajectory, designing robotics platforms that deliver order-of-magnitude improvements in safety and deployment speed, and establishing quality and manufacturing frameworks that rapidly accelerate production.

You'll work across Data Center Engineering's full breadth of specializations — mechanical cooling, physical design and site planning, energy storage and power systems, robotics hardware, and quality manufacturing engineering — bringing clarity to cross-cutting technical decisions that no single team can resolve alone.

You'll mentor senior engineers, raise the bar for engineering excellence, and partner directly with leadership to shape our roadmap. The infrastructure you influence will cool hundreds of megawatts, store gigawatt-hours of energy, deploy autonomous systems across continents, and manufacture hardware at scales the industry has never attempted — the physical foundation that makes AWS possible.

Key job responsibilities

• Deliver strategic technical projects and architect next-generation physical data center infrastructure at global scale
• Lead engineering strategy across one or more domains: thermal systems, physical design, energy storage, robotics hardware, or manufacturing quality
• Drive step-change innovation delivering order-of-magnitude improvements in efficiency, cost, reliability, and deployment speed
• Make critical design trade-offs that balance performance, safety, sustainability, and total cost of ownership
• Work cross-functionally with Principal Engineers and teams across Data Center Engineering's specializations — from concept design to construction execution
• Mentor and guide senior engineers while solving complex technical challenges hands-on
• Scout and recruit top technical talent, actively growing the engineering community
• Shape technical direction for systems critical to delivering production infrastructure that powers AWS
• Drive a strong engineering excellence and operational culture across all programs and teams
• Travel approximately 30% to AWS offices, data centers, suppliers, vendors, and product validation tests (primarily domestic with some international travel)

About the team

We are hiring Principal and Senior Principal Engineers to join AWS Data Center Engineering.

AWS Data Center Engineering designs, delivers, and continuously evolves the mission-critical facilities that form the backbone of AWS's global infrastructure. We specialize in what no one else can build at this scale.

Our teams architect hyperscale data centers from the ground up — from the complete physical design lifecycle, cooling systems that manage 100MW+ thermal loads, energy storage deployments spanning multi-MWh to GWh, autonomous robotics platforms that transform construction and operations, and manufacturing programs that industrialize hardware at global scale.

From powering billions of compute hours to enabling the next generation of AI/ML workloads, every design decision we make reverberates across millions of customers worldwide.

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Architecture, Civil/Structural Engineering, Robotics, Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or related field
• 10+ years of experience in one or more of the following: data center mechanical/cooling systems design, mission-critical facilities or large-scale infrastructure, battery technology and energy storage systems, robotics hardware development, or manufacturing engineering and industrialization
• Proven experience delivering complex physical infrastructure or hardware systems at scale
• Deep expertise in at least one domain: thermal systems, physical design and site planning, power systems and grid integration, robotics and automation hardware, manufacturing quality and reliability, or modularization, prefabrication, and DFMA approaches
• Master's degree or PhD in relevant field; professional licensure
• 15+ years of experience in relevant domain

Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status.

Los Angeles County applicants

Job duties for this position include: work safely and cooperatively with other employees, supervisors, and staff; adhere to standards of excellence despite stressful conditions; communicate effectively and respectfully with employees, supervisors, and staff to ensure exceptional customer service; and follow all federal, state, and local laws and Company policies.

Criminal history may have a direct, adverse, and negative relationship with some of the material job duties of this position.

These include the duties and responsibilities listed above, as well as the abilities to adhere to company policies, exercise sound judgment, effectively manage stress and work safely and respectfully with others, exhibit trustworthiness and professionalism, and safeguard business operations and the Company’s reputation.

Pursuant to the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

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, CA, San Francisco - 186,900.00 - 252,900.00 USD annually USA, TX, Austin - 162,500.00 - 219,900.00 USD annually USA, VA, Herndon - 162,500.00 - 219,900.00 USD annually USA, WA, Seattle - 162,500.00 - 219,900.00 USD annually