Principal Physical Design Engineer , Data Center Engineering

Join AWS Data Center Engineering and play a critical role in delivering hyperscale infrastructure at scale. As a Senior Engineer, you'll drive the physical design of data center buildings—from site planning through permitting and construction—translating capacity demands into efficient, repeatable building designs that power AWS's cloud infrastructure. You'll contribute to innovation in high-density AI/HPC environments and help refine architectural standards that balance performance, cost, and rapid deployment.

Working across electrical, mechanical, and structural disciplines, you'll evaluate trade-offs and propose solutions that support AWS's growth. You'll collaborate with cross-functional teams to improve constructibility, streamline delivery timelines, and advance sustainable, energy-efficient design. This is an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to infrastructure that serves millions of customers worldwide while tackling complex engineering challenges.

Key job responsibilities


Physical Design Delivery: Drive site planning, architectural development, and permitting through construction for assigned projects, translating capacity demands into efficient, scalable building designs

Standardization & Efficiency: Contribute to the development and refinement of architectural standards for data center layouts, modular construction approaches, and phased expansion strategies, identifying opportunities to improve density, cost, and deployment speed

Systems Integration: Deliver integrated designs across electrical, mechanical, and structural disciplines, evaluating trade-offs between cooling strategies, structural performance, and environmental requirements with data-driven analysis

Permitting & Compliance: Support regulatory engagement and permitting strategies across assigned geographies, ensuring designs meet building codes, fire/life safety standards, and environmental regulations

Constructibility: Collaborate with construction, procurement, and supply chain teams to improve site logistics, support prefabrication strategies, and identify bottlenecks that impact time-to-market

Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with architecture, engineering, and construction teams to drive alignment on priorities and navigate complex trade-offs within your project scope

Innovation: Contribute to continuous improvement through lessons learned, industry benchmarking, and exploration of high-density design, sustainable building strategies, and advanced construction techniques


A day in the life
About AIS
AWS Infrastructure Services (AIS) owns the design, planning, delivery, and operation of all AWS global infrastructure. In other words, we’re the people who keep the cloud running. We support all AWS data centers and all of the servers, storage, networking, power, and cooling equipment that ensure our customers have continual access to the innovation they rely on. We work on the most challenging problems, with thousands of variables impacting the supply chain — and we’re looking for talented people who want to help.

You’ll join a diverse team of software, hardware, and network engineers, supply chain specialists, security experts, operations managers, and other vital roles. You’ll collaborate with people across AWS to help us deliver the highest standards for safety and security while providing seemingly infinite capacity at the lowest possible cost for our customers. And you’ll experience an inclusive culture that welcomes bold ideas and empowers you to own them to completion.


About the team
About AWS

Diverse Experiences
AWS values diverse experiences. Even if you do not meet all of the qualifications and skills listed in the job description, we encourage candidates to apply. If your career is just starting, hasn’t followed a traditional path, or includes alternative experiences, don’t let it stop you from applying.

Why AWS?
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the world’s most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud platform. We pioneered cloud computing and never stopped innovating — that’s why customers from the most successful startups to Global 500 companies trust our robust suite of products and services to power their businesses.

Inclusive Team Culture
Here at AWS, it’s in our nature to learn and be curious. Our employee-led affinity groups foster a culture of inclusion that empower us to be proud of our differences. Ongoing events and learning experiences, including our Conversations on Race and Ethnicity (CORE) and AmazeCon conferences, inspire us to never stop embracing our uniqueness.

Mentorship & Career Growth
We’re continuously raising our performance bar as we strive to become Earth’s Best Employer. That’s why you’ll find endless knowledge-sharing, mentorship and other career-advancing resources here to help you develop into a better-rounded professional.

Work/Life Balance
We value work-life harmony. Achieving success at work should never come at the expense of sacrifices at home, which is why we strive for flexibility as part of our working culture. When we feel supported in the workplace and at home, there’s nothing we can’t achieve in the cloud. This job opportunity is available both for the full time and part time employment.

Basic Qualifications

- Bachelor's degree in Architecture, Construction Management, Engineering, or a related field
- 10+ years of experience in mission-critical facilities or large-scale infrastructure
- Demonstrated experience across: Concept design, Permitting and regulatory engagement
- Construction execution and constructibility
- Strong understanding of: Building systems integration (architecture + MEP + structure)
- Building codes and permitting processes
- Construction methodologies and sequencing

Preferred Qualifications

- Professional licensure (RA, PE, or equivalent)
- Experience delivering hyperscale data centers
- Experience with modularization, prefabrication, and DFMA approaches
- Familiarity with high-density compute environments (AI/ML workloads)
- Experience working across multiple regions and regulatory environments

Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status.

Our inclusive culture empowers Amazonians to deliver the best results for our customers. If you have a disability and need a workplace accommodation or adjustment during the application and hiring process, including support for the interview or onboarding process, please visit https://amazon.jobs/content/en/how-we-hire/accommodations for more information. If the country/region you’re applying in isn’t listed, please contact your Recruiting Partner.

The base salary range for this position is listed below. Your Amazon package will include sign-on payments and restricted stock units (RSUs). Final compensation will be determined based on factors including experience, qualifications, and location. Amazon also offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance (medical, dental, vision, prescription, Basic Life & AD&D insurance and option for Supplemental life plans, EAP, Mental Health Support, Medical Advice Line, Flexible Spending Accounts, Adoption and Surrogacy Reimbursement coverage), 401(k) matching, paid time off, and parental leave. Learn more about our benefits at https://amazon.jobs/en/benefits.

USA, WA, Seattle - 162,500.00 - 219,900.00 USD annually