SDE building high-performance distributed storage for FSx for Lustre

This SDE role on the Amazon FSx for Lustre team builds the high-throughput, low-latency storage service behind AI/ML training and HPC workloads on AWS. Requires 5+ years leading design/architecture and mentoring, so despite the generic 'SDE' title this is a senior-level bar with tech-lead expectations.

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Likely format

Amazon's standard SDE loop built around Leadership Principles: phone screen, then onsite/virtual rounds mixing coding, system design, and behavioral (STAR) questions tied to specific Leadership Principles.

What this interview tests

High-throughput, low-latency distributed storage systems
Design/architecture leadership (patterns, reliability, scaling)
Infrastructure-as-code and global deployment automation
Mentorship and tech-lead responsibilities
Full software development lifecycle rigor

Common question themes

Design a storage or distributed system that must sustain very high throughput and low latency

Describe a time you led the architecture of a new or existing system

How do you approach infrastructure-as-code for deploying software at global scale

Tell me about mentoring a junior engineer or leading an engineering team

Walk through your code review and coding standards practices

How would you diagnose a performance regression in a large-scale storage service

How candidates describe it

Real Software Development Engineer interview stories — retold from candidates' public write-ups, with sources.

Amazon · SDE I (New Grad, MS CS)Offer

Amazon SDE 1 new grad loop: three online assessments, three interviews, offer in five days

A master's new grad went through Amazon's full three-part online assessment and three 45-minute virtual interviews. Every round opened with Leadership Principles questions before the coding began, and the offer landed within five business days.

Interviewed October 2019 · Seattle, WA, US

Amazon · SDE I (New Grad)Offer

Amazon SDE 1 new grad interview: one OA, four back-to-back onsite rounds, offer

A fresher found the posting through a LinkedIn connection, cleared the OA within a week of applying, and faced a six-hour virtual onsite: four one-hour rounds where every behavioral answer drew three to four follow-up questions.

Interviewed January 2021 · Seattle, WA, US

Amazon · SDE INo offer

Amazon SDE I Interview Experience: Global Selling Team, 2022

A LinkedIn referral bypassed Amazon's usual online assessment for this SDE I candidate, who then worked through a telephonic DSA screen and two technical rounds pairing coding problems with Amazon Leadership Principles questions before receiving no further response.

Interviewed March 2022 · Not specified

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