AWS Specialist Solutions Architects (SSAs) are technologists with deep domain-specific expertise, capable of addressing advanced concepts and feature designs. As part of the AWS sales organization, SSAs work with customers facing complex challenges that require expert-level knowledge to solve. SSAs craft scalable, secure, and resilient technical architectures to address these challenges. This may involve guiding customers as they refactor applications or designing entirely new cloud-based solutions.

Principal-level Specialist SAs operate in environments where business objectives are undefined and problems are emergent or novel. They shape entire markets, influence industry-defining regulatory frameworks, and orchestrate solutions across multiple large organizations. As domain experts, Principal SSAs also lead field engagement and enablement, producing thought leadership content such as whitepapers, blogs, and workshops for customers, partners, and the AWS Technical Field.




Key job responsibilities
Digital Sovereignty Specialist Solutions Architects combine deep technical expertise in digital sovereignty with business acumen and technical sales skills. At the Principal level, this role extends beyond customer support to market creation and regulatory influence.

Principal SSAs are responsible for:
Strategic Market Leadership: Shaping sovereign cloud market standards and establishing AWS as the definitive leader in sovereign cloud solutions across key regions
Regulatory Framework Development: Leading engagements with federal agencies, standards bodies, and regulators to influence market-defining frameworks and accreditation schemes
Complex Solution Architecture: Designing and architecting solutions for emergent digital sovereignty challenges where standard playbooks don't exist, requiring invention of new approaches
Cross-Organizational Orchestration: Coordinating across multiple large organizations—internally (Service Teams, Security, Legal, Public Policy) and externally (ISVs, GSIs, enterprise customers, regulators)
Customer Unblocking at Scale: Accelerating paths to production for strategic customers facing novel sovereignty requirements, particularly in regulated industries
Upstream Service Influence: Driving product and service enhancements based on sovereignty requirements, directly shaping AWS service roadmaps
Thought Leadership: Contributing to industry discourse through authoritative content creation, speaking engagements, and formal cooperation agreements that serve as templates globally

This role requires navigating conflicting stakeholder priorities, building consensus among cabinet-level decision authorities, and delivering solutions that balance technical feasibility with regulatory compliance and business objectives.

Joining AWS as a Principal Specialist Solutions Architect offers opportunities to work on industry-defining challenges, collaborate with world-class practitioners focused on delivering transformational outcomes for customers, and be part of a diverse and inclusive community committed to being Earth's Best Employer. This role requires exceptional innovation capabilities, a customer-centric mindset, and the ability to navigate highly complex technical, regulatory, and business landscapes.


About the team
Diverse Experiences: AWS values diverse experiences. Even if you do not meet all of the preferred qualifications and skills listed in the job below, 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.

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.