Job Description
DESCRIPTION
In the world of cloud security, architecture decisions ripple through systems like waves through water. From my experience leading security initiatives, I've learned that every design choice, every framework we build, shapes how millions of families share and preserve their memories. At Amazon Photos, these aren't just technical decisions - they're commitments to our customers' trust.
We're seeking a Senior Security Engineer who sees beyond the code to the bigger landscape: the intersecting systems, the emerging patterns, the human impact of every security decision. Because when you're designing security architecture that protects billions of precious moments, technical expertise is just the beginning.
This role demands strategic vision across multiple domains:
* Enterprise-scale security frameworks that empower development across iOS, Android, Fire TV, and Echo platforms
* Cross-organizational security initiatives that shape how Photos evolves
* Innovative automation approaches that scale protection for billions of daily interactions
* Security standards that balance robust protection with seamless user experience
You'll collaborate with senior leadership to shape the future of Photos security, building relationships across Amazon's security community. This isn't about following established playbooks - it's about writing new ones. You'll define security strategies that influence how teams across Photos approach development, establish patterns that make security intuitive, and create frameworks that scale protection across our entire ecosystem.
The complexity is real and evolving. Each day brings new challenges: emerging threats, advancing technologies, expanding features. Your architectural decisions will shape how Photos protects everything from AI-powered photo recognition to cross-device sharing features. You'll be building more than security systems - you'll be creating the foundations that help teams build securely.
This role offers an opportunity to make a lasting impact at the intersection of security architecture and human connection. You'll be designing protections that preserve trust, developing strategies that enable innovation, and building frameworks that help people safely share their most precious memories.
If you're energized by solving complex security challenges while making a meaningful difference in people's lives, we'd love to explore how your expertise could help shape the future of Photos security.
Key job responsibilities
Strategic Security Leadership
- Define and drive the overall security strategy and roadmap for Amazon Photos
- Architect complex security solutions spanning multiple platforms and services
- Lead security initiatives that impact multiple teams across Photos organization
- Establish security standards, patterns, and best practices for the organization
Technical Security Excellence
- Design enterprise-scale security frameworks and platforms that enable secure development across all Photos services
- Lead architectural reviews and provide direction for high-complexity, high-risk features
- Drive innovation in security automation and tooling across mobile, TV, and voice platforms
- Establish security metrics and KPIs to measure and improve security posture
Cross-Organization Impact
- Build and own relationships with partner teams including DigiSec, AWS Security, and other Amazon security organizations
- Represent Photos in cross-org security initiatives and standards development
- Drive security improvements that influence Amazon-wide mobile and client application security practices
- Lead security incident response for critical events affecting Photos services
Technical Leadership & Mentorship
- Provide technical leadership and mentoring to teams on security best practices
- Establish security review processes and governance models
- Drive security culture through training programs and best practice documentation
- Influence product roadmaps to incorporate security requirements early in development
Risk Management & Strategy
- Develop long-term security strategy aligned with business objectives
- Own strategic security initiatives and multi-year security roadmap
- Lead security architecture decisions that balance risk, user experience, and business needs
- Provide executive-level visibility into security posture and risks
A day in the life
Morning:
- Lead the weekly security architecture review meeting with senior technical leaders across Photos
- Provide guidance on multiple ongoing design reviews - from mobile apps to ML systems
- Meet with DigiSec leadership to align on upcoming security initiatives and ensure Photos' needs are represented
- Work with your security automation team to review the architecture for a new security monitoring platform
- Drive a cross-team working session to define security standards for our next-generation sharing features
Afternoon:
- Review and approve security exception requests, balancing risk with business needs
- Partner with other senior engineers to establish security patterns that will scale across all Photos services
- Present the quarterly security roadmap to Photos leadership
- Guide teams through complex security decisions
- Shape security requirements for major new Photos initiatives
- Define security metrics and success criteria for the organization
Evening:
- Enjoy the evening, secure in the knowledge that your work has safeguarded the memories of millions of customers
About the team
We're a focused, high-impact security team being built from the ground up within Amazon Photos. Reporting directly to senior leadership, with technical direction from a Principal Engineer, team members have unprecedented access to guidance and support while maintaining the autonomy to shape our security future.
As one of our first dedicated security engineers, you'll help establish our team's culture and technical foundations. Our dedicated team is starting small, which means you'll have outsized influence on our direction and substantial ownership of our security landscape.
Our flat structure and direct senior leadership access means quick decision-making and minimal bureaucracy. If you enjoy building things from scratch and want to help define what security looks like for a service trusted by millions, this is your opportunity.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- 3+ years of programming in Python, Ruby, Go, Swift, Java, .Net, C++ or similar object oriented language experience
- Bachelor's degree in computer science or equivalent
- Knowledge of networking protocols such as DNS and TCP/IP
Job Tags
Full time, Day shift, Afternoon shift,