Software Development Engineer II, Webflow at Amazon

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Software Development Engineer II, Webflow

Company: Amazon

Location: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Software Development Engineering (with significant design/UX focus)

Date Posted: June 12, 2025

Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level

Remote Status: On-site

🎨 Role Summary

Drive the technical strategy and architectural design for foundational services that power Amazon's online shopping experiences, directly impacting developer efficiency and global customer interactions.
Collaborate closely with design and product teams to translate complex UX requirements into scalable, maintainable, and performant frontend and backend systems, focusing on developer workflow optimization.
Lead the development and implementation of robust software solutions, applying design patterns, ensuring system reliability, and planning for future scaling needs to accommodate Amazon's massive user base.
Champion best practices in software development life cycle, including coding standards, code reviews, and testing methodologies, fostering a culture of quality and continuous improvement within the engineering team.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is Software Development Engineer, the context of "Webflow" and "revolutionizing how Amazon developers develop those online shopping experiences" strongly suggests a significant focus on frontend architecture, developer tooling, and potentially design system integration or developer experience (DevEx), which often involves a deep understanding of design principles and workflows. The role requires translating design requirements into technical solutions.

🖼️ Primary Responsibilities

Provide technical leadership to the engineering team, guiding architectural decisions and contributing to the overall technical strategy for the platform.
Actively participate in Agile/Scrum ceremonies, contributing to sprint planning, daily stand-ups, and retrospective discussions to ensure efficient team workflow and project delivery.
Define and refine the technical roadmap and strategy in collaboration with senior leaders across the organization, aligning technical initiatives with broader business goals and design system evolution.
Design and implement scalable, reliable, and maintainable software solutions that enhance developer productivity and improve the customer experience.
Conduct in-depth code reviews, mentor junior engineers, and contribute to establishing high coding standards and best practices within the team.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the "Webflow" context, primary responsibilities likely involve building tools, frameworks, or services that empower other Amazon developers to build user interfaces efficiently, potentially leveraging design systems, component libraries, or low-code/no-code principles behind the scenes. This requires a strong understanding of both software architecture and user-facing design implementation.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: A Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical field is preferred. Equivalent practical experience in software development, with a strong portfolio demonstrating technical problem-solving and system design, will also be considered.

Experience: Minimum of 3 years of professional, non-internship software development experience is required. Additionally, at least 2 years of non-internship experience specifically in the design or architecture of new and existing software systems, including applying design patterns, considering reliability, and planning for scaling, is essential. Experience contributing to or utilizing design systems is a plus.

Required Skills:

Proficiency in at least one major software programming language relevant to web development (e.g., Java, C++, Python, JavaScript, TypeScript).
Demonstrated experience in designing and architecting complex software systems, focusing on scalability, reliability, and maintainability.
Solid understanding of software design patterns and their application in building robust and extensible systems.
Experience with the full software development life cycle, including coding standards, code reviews, source control management (e.g., Git), build processes, testing methodologies (unit, integration, end-to-end), and operational support.

Preferred Skills:

Experience with front-end technologies and frameworks (e.g., React, Angular, Vue.js) and understanding of modern web development practices.
Familiarity with cloud computing platforms, particularly AWS services relevant to web applications and developer tooling.
Experience working on platforms or tools that improve developer productivity or streamline design-to-development workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Webflow" context suggests that while a strong software engineering background is paramount, familiarity with frontend development concepts, potentially low-code/no-code platforms, and the challenges faced by developers building user interfaces will be highly beneficial. The preferred skills reflect this intersection of software engineering and developer experience/tooling.

🎨 Portfolio & Creative Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

While this is a software engineering role, candidates should be prepared to discuss projects that demonstrate their ability to translate complex requirements into well-structured and maintainable code, particularly those involving user-facing components or developer tools.
Highlight projects where you were responsible for architectural design decisions, focusing on how your choices addressed scalability, reliability, and performance.
Showcase examples of code contributions that demonstrate adherence to coding standards, effective use of design patterns, and robust testing practices.
Be prepared to discuss technical challenges you faced and how you creatively solved them, emphasizing your problem-solving approach.

Process Documentation:

Be ready to articulate your approach to the software development life cycle, from requirements gathering and technical design to implementation, testing, and deployment.
Describe your process for collaborating with product managers, designers, and other engineers to define technical specifications and deliver features.
Explain how you approach technical documentation, code reviews, and knowledge sharing within a team.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a software engineering role with a focus on developer tools and potentially influencing frontend workflows ("Webflow"), a "portfolio" shifts from visual design to demonstrating technical depth, system design thinking, and problem-solving skills through project examples and a detailed explanation of technical processes.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: The base salary for this position is stated to range from $114,800 to $191,800 USD per year. This range is contingent on various factors including job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Please note that this is the base salary only and does not include potential equity, sign-on payments, or other forms of compensation that may be part of the total compensation package. This range aligns with typical Software Development Engineer II compensation at Amazon, adjusted for the Vancouver, BC market based on publicly available data for similar roles and experience levels in the region.

Benefits:

Comprehensive medical benefits package providing health coverage for employees and their dependents.
Financial benefits designed to support employee financial well-being, which may include retirement plans, employee stock purchase programs, and financial planning resources.
Potential for equity grants as part of the total compensation, aligning employee success with company performance.
Sign-on payments may be offered as part of the initial compensation package to attract top talent.

Working Hours: Standard full-time working hours are expected, typically around 40 hours per week. Amazon values work-life balance, and while core hours are important for collaboration, there may be some flexibility depending on team needs and project phases.

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided salary range is directly from the job description. The note clarifies that this is the base salary and that total compensation at Amazon typically includes additional components like equity and sign-on bonuses. The working hours are inferred as standard full-time based on the job type.

🎯Team & Company Context

🏢 Company & Design Culture

Industry: Amazon operates primarily in the e-commerce, cloud computing (AWS), digital streaming, and artificial intelligence industries. This role is situated within the core e-commerce division, focusing on the foundational technology that enables the online shopping experience. The "Webflow" context suggests an intersection with design technology and developer tooling within this industry.

Company Size: Amazon is a very large global company with over 730,000 employees. Working at a company of this size means contributing to systems that operate at massive scale and collaborating with numerous teams across different business units and geographies. The impact of your work can reach hundreds of millions of customers worldwide.

Founded: Founded in 1994, Amazon has a long history of innovation and growth, constantly evolving its business models and technological capabilities. This role is part of the ongoing evolution of how Amazon builds and delivers online experiences.

Team Structure:

The engineering team likely operates within a larger organizational structure focused on developer tools and platforms for the e-commerce business.
Teams are typically composed of Software Development Engineers at various levels, potentially with Quality Assurance Engineers and Technical Program Managers.
There is a strong emphasis on cross-functional collaboration with product management, user experience (UX) design, and other engineering teams responsible for different parts of the shopping experience.

Methodology:

Amazon teams generally utilize agile methodologies, such as Scrum or Kanban, for project management and development.
There is a strong culture of data-driven decision-making, where technical choices are often informed by metrics and customer impact.
Emphasis is placed on operational excellence, including robust testing, monitoring, and incident response practices.

Company Website: https://www.amazon.com

📝 Enhancement Note: Information about Amazon's size, industry, and general methodologies is publicly available. The team structure and specific methodology details are inferred based on typical practices within large tech companies and Amazon's known operational models, tailored to a software engineering role focusing on developer platforms. The "Webflow" context suggests the team is likely focused on improving developer efficiency for building web experiences.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Design Career Level: This is a Software Development Engineer II role, which is typically considered a mid-to-senior level position within Amazon's engineering ladder. It signifies a solid foundation in software development principles and the ability to take on more complex technical challenges, including system design and technical leadership within a team.

Reporting Structure: The role likely reports to an Engineering Manager or a Senior Software Development Engineer who leads the team. Collaboration with Principal Engineers or other senior technical leaders to define strategy is also expected.

Design Impact: As part of a team building foundational services for Amazon's e-commerce platform, the impact of this role is significant. The tools and services developed will directly influence the productivity of hundreds of other Amazon developers and, indirectly, the experience of hundreds of millions of customers worldwide. The "Webflow" context suggests a focus on improving the efficiency and quality of building web interfaces.

Growth Opportunities:

Advancement to Senior Software Development Engineer (SDE III), which involves leading larger projects, mentoring other engineers, and making significant contributions to technical strategy.
Opportunities to specialize in specific technical areas, such as distributed systems, performance optimization, or developer tooling architecture.
Potential to move into technical leadership or management roles within the engineering organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The career level and growth opportunities are based on Amazon's known engineering ladder structure and typical career progression paths for Software Development Engineers. The impact analysis is derived from the job description's emphasis on building foundational services for Amazon's scale.

🌐 Work Environment

Studio Type: This is an on-site role based in Amazon's offices in Vancouver, British Columbia. Amazon offices typically feature a mix of individual workspaces, collaboration areas, meeting rooms, and amenities designed to support productivity and teamwork.

Office Location(s): The primary location is Vancouver, British Columbia. Amazon has a significant presence in Vancouver, with multiple office locations. The specific office will likely be determined by the team's location within the city.

Design Workspace Context:

The work environment is designed to foster collaboration among engineering team members, as well as with cross-functional partners like product managers and designers.
Access to necessary hardware, software, and technical resources for software development, testing, and deployment.
Opportunities for informal knowledge sharing and technical discussions with colleagues.

Work Schedule: The role is full-time and on-site. The typical work schedule will align with standard business hours in Vancouver, with potential for flexibility depending on team practices and project needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The work environment description is based on the "on-site" requirement and general knowledge of typical large tech company office environments. Specific details about Amazon's Vancouver offices are publicly available, allowing for a more informed description of the potential workspace.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Design Interview Process:

The interview process for a Software Development Engineer II at Amazon typically involves a combination of technical interviews focusing on data structures, algorithms, system design, and behavioral questions based on Amazon's Leadership Principles.
Expect coding challenges, technical discussions about past projects, and scenarios related to designing scalable and reliable systems.
Given the potential focus on developer tooling and frontend workflows ("Webflow"), there may be questions related to web architecture, developer experience, or translating design requirements into technical solutions.
Behavioral interviews will assess your collaboration skills, problem-solving approach, and alignment with Amazon's culture and principles.

Portfolio Review Tips:

Prepare to discuss your technical projects in detail, including the problem you solved, your design decisions, the technologies you used, and the impact of your work.
Focus on projects that demonstrate your ability to design and build scalable, reliable, and maintainable software systems.
If you have experience with developer tools, platforms, or projects that involved close collaboration with design or frontend teams, be sure to highlight these.
Be ready to whiteboard technical solutions and explain your thought process clearly.

Challenge Preparation:

Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to prepare for technical screening and interviews, focusing on data structures and algorithms.
Study system design concepts and common architectural patterns to prepare for system design interviews.
Review Amazon's Leadership Principles and prepare examples from your past experience that demonstrate each principle.

ATS Keywords: software development, engineer, SDE II, Webflow, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, technical strategy, system design, architecture, design patterns, reliability, scaling, programming language, coding standards, code reviews, source control, build processes, testing, operations, full software development life cycle, computer science, bachelor's degree, web development, frontend, backend, distributed systems, cloud computing, AWS, developer tools, developer productivity, design system, component library, agile, scrum, kanban, data structures, algorithms, leadership principles, problem-solving, collaboration, technical leadership, mentoring.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process and preparation tips are based on widely known information about Amazon's SDE interview loops, tailored to the specific role level and location. The inclusion of "Webflow" in the title suggests a potential emphasis on related technical areas, which is reflected in the preparation advice. The ATS keywords are extracted from the job description and common terms for this type of role.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Design Tools:

While this is a software engineering role, familiarity with tools used by designers and front-end developers could be beneficial, especially if the role involves building developer tools or platforms that interact with design assets or workflows. This could include tools like Figma, Sketch, or Adobe Creative Suite for understanding design handoffs and asset formats.
Experience with tools for building and managing design systems and component libraries may be relevant depending on the specifics of the "Webflow" platform.

Collaboration & Handoff:

Collaboration tools such as Slack, Chime, or similar internal communication platforms are used for team communication and cross-functional coordination.
Project management and issue tracking tools like Jira or internal Amazon equivalents are used to manage tasks, track progress, and collaborate on features.
Tools for code branching, merging, and reviewing, such as Git and internal code review platforms, are essential for collaborative development.

Research & Testing:

Internal Amazon tools and platforms are used for logging, monitoring, and analyzing the performance and usage of the developed services.
Testing frameworks and tools for unit testing, integration testing, and potentially end-to-end testing are integral to the development process.
Tools for load testing and performance analysis are used to ensure the scalability and reliability of the systems.

📝 Enhancement Note: The tools and technology section is tailored to a software engineering role, focusing on the tools used for development, collaboration, and testing. While design tools aren't core to an SDE role, their inclusion is relevant if the "Webflow" context implies interaction with design workflows or assets. Specific Amazon internal tools are not listed but are referenced as equivalents to common industry tools.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Design Values:

Customer Obsession: A core Amazon principle, emphasizing starting with the customer and working backward. For this role, this means focusing on the developer as the customer and building tools that meet their needs and improve their experience.
Ownership: Taking responsibility for your work, from design and implementation to operation and maintenance.
Learn and Be Curious: Continuously seeking to learn new technologies and approaches to solve problems and improve the platform.
Bias for Action: Making timely decisions and taking calculated risks to move forward, rather than getting bogged down in analysis paralysis.

Collaboration Style:

Teams are expected to be highly collaborative, working closely with product managers, designers, and other engineering teams.
Emphasis on open communication, constructive feedback through code reviews and design discussions, and shared ownership of team goals.
Regular meetings (e.g., daily stand-ups, sprint reviews) facilitate communication and alignment within the team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The team culture and values are based on Amazon's widely published Leadership Principles, which form the foundation of their company culture. These principles are interpreted in the context of a software engineering role focused on developer tools and platforms.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Design Challenges:

Building and maintaining highly scalable and reliable services that can handle the massive traffic and data volume of Amazon's e-commerce platform.
Designing systems that are flexible and extensible enough to accommodate the evolving needs of Amazon developers and the rapidly changing landscape of web technologies.
Balancing the need for rapid iteration and delivery with the requirements for robust architecture and operational excellence.
Collaborating effectively with diverse teams across a large organization, managing dependencies and aligning technical approaches.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

Opportunities to work with cutting-edge technologies and contribute to the development of internal tools and platforms used across Amazon.
Access to internal training resources, technical conferences, and opportunities to learn from experienced engineers and leaders.
Mentorship opportunities and the chance to mentor junior engineers, developing leadership skills.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are derived from the nature of working on large-scale systems at a company like Amazon, as well as the specific focus on building foundational services for developers. Growth opportunities align with typical career progression and learning resources available within a large tech organization.

💡 Interview Preparation

Design Process Questions:

Be prepared to discuss your approach to designing scalable and reliable software systems. Expect questions about system architecture, database design, API design, and choosing appropriate technologies for specific problems.
Be ready to walk through the technical design of a complex project you've worked on, explaining your decisions and trade-offs.
Practice whiteboard coding and problem-solving, illustrating your approach to algorithmic challenges and data structure usage.

Company Culture Questions:

Prepare examples from your past experience that demonstrate how you embody Amazon's Leadership Principles, such as Customer Obsession, Ownership, and Bias for Action.
Be ready to discuss how you handle challenging situations, collaborate with colleagues, and learn from failures.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

For this role, your "portfolio" is primarily your technical projects. Focus on presenting 1-2 projects in depth, highlighting the technical challenges, your design decisions, and the impact of your work.
Be prepared to discuss the technical architecture, code quality, testing strategies, and lessons learned from your projects.
If applicable, showcase any work related to developer tools, platforms, or projects that involved improving developer workflows or collaborating with design teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview preparation advice is standard for Amazon SDE interviews, with a slight tailoring to the potential focus on developer tools and frontend workflows implied by the "Webflow" context. The emphasis is on demonstrating strong technical skills and alignment with Amazon's culture.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this design position:

Submit your application through this link.
Tailor your resume to highlight your experience in software development, system design, and any relevant experience with developer tools or frontend technologies, using keywords from the job description.
Prepare to discuss your most impactful technical projects in detail, focusing on the technical challenges, your design decisions, and the results.
Research Amazon's Leadership Principles and prepare specific examples from your past experience that demonstrate these principles.
Familiarize yourself with common data structures and algorithms and practice coding problems to prepare for technical interviews.

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

Software Development Engineer II, Webflow