Job Description
What if AI didn"t just execute - it got smarter every time it finished a task? We"re building a new system that gives AI the ability to learn from experience at scale. Not through retraining, but through memory. You"ll be among the first engineers building it - shipping production code in your first week on a team that moves at startup speed with Amazon resources.
Key job responsibilities
As a Software Development Engineer II, you will solve technical challenges at the intersection of knowledge systems, real-time retrieval, and AI-powered intelligence. You"ll play an active role in translating research ideas into production systems and build quick prototypes in partnership with Applied Scientists and engineering leadership. Specific responsibilities include:
Design and build highly scalable distributed systems that capture, structure, and retrieve knowledge in real time across diverse data sources.
Implement intelligent retrieval and ranking capabilities that match intent to relevant knowledge with sub-second latency.
Create APIs and data models that enable AI systems to access structured memory across multiple contexts and domains.
Develop and optimize pipelines for processing both real-time event streams and batch data into durable, retrievable knowledge representations.
Build systems that respect temporal decay, relevance boundaries, and access controls to ensure knowledge stays current and appropriate.
Collaborate with Applied Scientists to integrate novel approaches to knowledge extraction and pattern recognition into production infrastructure.
Work on innovative solutions for cross-domain knowledge reconciliation - connecting insights that span different tools, teams, and workflows.
Contribute to the development of feedback loops that allow the system to compound its value with every interaction it processes.
About the team
We"re a new team within Amazon"s Personalization organization, which pioneered recommendation systems at internet scale. Our focus is different: not "what product should this customer see" but "what knowledge should this AI use right now." We"re building a foundational capability that will change how hundreds of thousands of people work - giving AI persistent, compounding memory that improves with every interaction.
The team values builders who move fast, ship constantly, and are energized by solving problems that don"t have established playbooks. We offer creative space with an entrepreneurial environment and a culture where everyone is a leader and owner for everything we do.
Numbers & Facts
| Location | Seattle, WA |
| Industry | Retail |
| Company Size | 10,000 employees or more |
| Year Founded | 1994 |
| Website | http://Amazon.com/militaryroles |
About Company
At Amazon, we don’t wait for the next big idea to present itself. We envision the shape of impossible things and then we boldly make them reality. So far, this mindset has helped us achieve some incredible things. Let’s build new systems, challenge the status quo, and design the world we want to live in. We believe the work you do here will be the best work of your life.
Wherever you are in your career exploration, Amazon likely has an opportunity for you. Our research scientists and engineers shape the future of natural language understanding with Alexa. Fulfillment center associates around the globe send customer orders from our warehouses to doorsteps. Product managers set feature requirements, strategy, and marketing messages for brand new customer experiences. And as we grow, we’ll add jobs that haven’t been invented yet.
It’s Always Day 1
At Amazon, it’s always “Day 1.” Now, what does this mean and why does it matter? It means that our approach remains the same as it was on Amazon’s very first day – to make smart, fast decisions, stay nimble, invent, and stay focused on delighting our customers. In our 2016 shareholder letter, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos shared his thoughts on how to keep up a Day 1 company mindset. “Staying in Day 1 requires you to experiment patiently, accept failures, plant seeds, protect saplings, and double down when you see customer delight,” he wrote. “A customer-obsessed culture best creates the conditions where all of that can happen.” You can read the full letter here
Our Leadership Principles
Our Leadership Principles help us keep a Day 1 mentality. They aren’t just a pretty inspirational wall hanging. Amazonians use them, every day, whether they’re discussing ideas for new projects, deciding on the best solution for a customer’s problem, or interviewing candidates. To read through our Leadership Principles from Customer Obsession to Bias for Action, visit https://www.amazon.jobs/principles
Wherever you are in your career exploration, Amazon likely has an opportunity for you. Our research scientists and engineers shape the future of natural language understanding with Alexa. Fulfillment center associates around the globe send customer orders from our warehouses to doorsteps. Product managers set feature requirements, strategy, and marketing messages for brand new customer experiences. And as we grow, we’ll add jobs that haven’t been invented yet.
It’s Always Day 1
At Amazon, it’s always “Day 1.” Now, what does this mean and why does it matter? It means that our approach remains the same as it was on Amazon’s very first day – to make smart, fast decisions, stay nimble, invent, and stay focused on delighting our customers. In our 2016 shareholder letter, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos shared his thoughts on how to keep up a Day 1 company mindset. “Staying in Day 1 requires you to experiment patiently, accept failures, plant seeds, protect saplings, and double down when you see customer delight,” he wrote. “A customer-obsessed culture best creates the conditions where all of that can happen.” You can read the full letter here
Our Leadership Principles
Our Leadership Principles help us keep a Day 1 mentality. They aren’t just a pretty inspirational wall hanging. Amazonians use them, every day, whether they’re discussing ideas for new projects, deciding on the best solution for a customer’s problem, or interviewing candidates. To read through our Leadership Principles from Customer Obsession to Bias for Action, visit https://www.amazon.jobs/principles