Software Development Engineer – Amazon – Toronto, ON
Location: Toronto, ON | Company: Amazon
Amazon’s Sponsored Products and Brands team is pushing the frontier of generative AI in advertising, and they’re hiring a Software Development Engineer to join them in Toronto, Ontario. This is a chance to build the systems that power ad experiences seen by tens of millions of customers across Amazon.com and beyond — at a scale few engineering roles can match.
You’ll be designing and owning Tier 1 ad serving services that determine eligibility for ads to be displayed, contributing to a platform that processes hundreds of millions of ads per second, runs over 20 machine learning models per ad, and operates 24/7/365 across more than 20 countries. This is deep, impactful engineering work at the intersection of distributed systems, machine learning infrastructure, and real-time ad delivery.
About the Role: Software Development Engineer
As part of the ad serving team, you’ll be responsible for the full software development lifecycle — from system design and implementation through to testing, deployment, and production maintenance. You’ll work closely with product managers, designers, and fellow engineers to translate complex business requirements into scalable, reliable technical solutions. The team leverages AWS technologies including EC2, Fargate, Lambda, SQS, ElasticCache, and S3 to power a truly high-throughput ad platform.
Beyond building, you’ll be contributing to code quality standards, participating in code reviews, creating technical documentation, and applying Gen AI tools to improve developer productivity and introduce AI-native capabilities directly into the ad serving pipeline. This is a collaborative, innovation-driven environment where your work has a direct and measurable impact on advertiser and shopper experiences.
Benefits and Salary
The base salary for this Software Development Engineer position in Toronto ranges from $114,800 to $191,800 CAD annually. Amazon’s total compensation package may also include sign-on payments and Restricted Stock Units (RSUs), with final compensation based on experience, qualifications, and location. Benefits include comprehensive health insurance (medical, dental, vision, prescription, basic life and AD&D), a Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP), Deferred Profit Sharing Plan (DPSP), paid time off, and additional resources to support health and well-being.
Job Details
📌 Job Type: Full-Time
🏢 Company: Amazon Development Centre Canada ULC
📍 Location: Toronto, ON
🆔 Requisition ID: 10461293
💰 Pay: $114,800 – $191,800 CAD annually
Responsibilities
Working on the Sponsored Products and Brands ad serving team means owning mission-critical systems at enormous scale. Your day-to-day work spans everything from hands-on coding and architecture decisions to cross-functional collaboration — all contributing directly to advertiser performance and business growth.
- Design and build robust, scalable software systems that enhance product experiences, working closely with product managers, designers, and engineers
- Own the complete lifecycle of software development and deployment — system design, implementation, testing, monitoring, and production maintenance at scale
- Develop scalable, automated solutions for complex technical challenges including distributed systems, APIs, data pipelines, and user-facing applications
- Write high-quality code that ensures engineering excellence in performance, reliability, and maintainability across Tier 1 ad serving services
- Apply software engineering best practices and contribute technical insights to team discussions and system architecture decisions
- Create technical documentation and communicate system designs and project outcomes clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders
- Participate in code reviews and help establish engineering standards that promote code quality and team effectiveness
- Leverage Gen AI tools to improve developer productivity and introduce AI-native capabilities into the ad serving pipeline
Requirements / Skills
Amazon is looking for a self-driven engineer who thrives in a fast-paced, high-scale environment and has genuine enthusiasm for distributed systems and AI-driven product development. The ideal candidate brings solid professional engineering experience and a track record of building reliable systems that operate at serious scale.
- 3+ years of professional software development experience (non-internship) in a production environment
- 2+ years of experience in system design or architecture, including design patterns, reliability, and scaling of new and existing systems
- Proficiency in at least one programming language used in production software development
- Gen AI proficiency — comfortable using GenAI tools to improve development velocity and contribute AI-native features to the ad serving pipeline
- Full software development lifecycle experience (preferred) — coding standards, code reviews, source control, build processes, testing, and operations (3+ years)
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or equivalent (preferred)
How to Apply
To apply, visit the official Amazon job posting using the link below. Make sure your resume is up to date and tailored to highlight your experience with distributed systems, software architecture, and any relevant AI or cloud technologies before submitting.
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Job Summary & Tips for Applying
Quick Summary & What to Highlight: This Software Development Engineer role at Amazon in Toronto is perfect for candidates who excel in distributed systems design, scalable software architecture, and Gen AI tooling. On your resume, emphasize any experience with high-throughput ad serving or real-time systems, attention to engineering reliability, and your ability to work in a fast-paced, high-scale environment. If you’ve previously worked in cloud-native development or machine learning infrastructure, make sure to highlight specific achievements and responsibilities that align with this position.
Resume & Application Tips: Before applying, tailor your resume to match the job description. Include keywords like distributed systems, scalable architecture, and generative AI that appear in the posting. Quantify your achievements where possible (e.g., “designed a service handling 10M requests/day” or “reduced system latency by 30% through memory optimization”). Write a brief cover letter expressing your genuine interest in Amazon and why you’re excited about this opportunity in Toronto. Double-check your application for spelling errors and ensure your contact information is current.
Interview Preparation: If selected for an interview, research Amazon‘s Leadership Principles, recent AWS product developments, and the company’s advertising business beforehand. Prepare specific examples using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to demonstrate your system design and engineering problem-solving skills. Common questions may include scenarios about handling system failures at scale, cross-functional collaboration, and making trade-offs in architecture decisions. Dress appropriately for a technology environment, arrive 10-15 minutes early (or log in early for virtual interviews), and bring copies of your resume. Prepare thoughtful questions about the role, team dynamics, and growth opportunities. After the interview, send a thank-you email within 24 hours reiterating your interest in the position.
