Physical Security Engineering Manager, Data Center Design Engineering, Data Center Design Engineering

Amazon.com Inc

Herndon, VA

JOB DETAILS
SKILLS
Access Control, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Applications Security, Architectural Design, Bid Analysis, Brownfield Redevelopment, Calibration, Cloud Computing, Coaching, Computer Engineering, Construction, Construction Administration, Construction Design, Construction Drawings, Construction Management, Consulting, Continuous Improvement, Crime Prevention, Due Diligence, Engineering Management, Environmental Design, Finance, Intrusion Detection Systems, Leadership, Negotiation Skills, Network Architecture/Engineering, Network Operations Center, Onboarding, Operations Management, People Management, Physical Security, Plan Meetings, Pricing, Problem Solving Skills, Procurement Management, Project Lifecycle, Project Schedule, Project Tracking, Project/Program Management, Quality Assurance, Quality Control, Quality Metrics, Real Estate, Regulatory Compliance, Release Management/Engineering, Request for Proposals (RFP), Requirements Management, Risk Analysis, Safety Standards, Security Auditing, Security Design, Security Monitoring, Site Evaluation, Strategic Planning, Supply Chain, Surveillance, Talent Management, Team Building, Team Lead/Manager, Technical/Engineering Design, Time Management, Vendor/Supplier Evaluation, Vendor/Supplier Planning, Vendor/Supplier Selection, Willing to Travel
LOCATION
Herndon, VA
POSTED
28 days ago

About AWS Infrastructure Services

AWS Infrastructure Services 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.

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About the Role

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is seeking a Manager, Physical Security Engineering to join its Data Center Design Engineering (DCDE) team within the Americas (AMER) region. This position supports Leased and Owned (Greenfield, Build-to-Suit, and Brownfield) commercial data center projects and is available in the following locations:

  • Austin, Texas
  • Seattle, Washington
  • Herndon, Virginia
  • Columbus, Ohio

Physical Security Engineering at AWS works to design safe, secure, resilient, and cost-effective data center facilities. As a Manager of Physical Security Engineering for Leased/Owned projects, you will lead a team of Physical Security Engineers (PSEs) responsible for delivering security designs across the full project lifecycle - from pre-design due diligence through construction administration and operational handoff - for AWS-owned and leased commercial data center campuses across the Americas region.

You will be part of a highly creative and efficient design team comprised of Architects, Engineers, and Designers tasked with solving problems and challenging the status quo. As both a subject matter expert and a people manager, you will set the technical direction for your team, drive accountability across multiple simultaneous fast-paced projects, and be responsible for developing and communicating security design requirements to internal and external project partners and stakeholders.

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What You Will Do

As a Manager of Physical Security Engineering for Leased/Owned projects, you will work directly with AWS Security teams, Design Engineering leadership, Real Estate, Construction Management, and external design consultants to deliver world-class physical security across AWS"s owned and leased data center portfolio. You will set the strategic direction for your team"s engagement across the project lifecycle, ensure design quality and standards compliance, and build a high-performing team capable of delivering results at scale. You will bring deep knowledge of physical security principles and their practical application, including Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED), hostile vehicle mitigation (HVM), perimeter intrusion detection, video surveillance, and access control architecture, and translate that expertise into team guidance, design standards, and program improvements.

Key job responsibilities

People Management & Team Development

  • Build, lead, and develop a high-performing team of Physical Security Engineers (PSEs) assigned to Leased/Owned commercial data center projects across the AMER region
  • Define clear performance expectations aligned to the DE Security performance bar, conduct regular 1:1s, and provide ongoing coaching and feedback to drive above-bar performance across the team
  • Own the Organization and Leadership Review (OLR) process for your team, including performance calibration, promotion decisions, and talent development planning
  • Create an inclusive team culture that rewards ownership, rigor, innovation, and continuous improvement, consistent with Amazon Leadership Principles
  • Oversee onboarding and new hire integration, ensuring PSEs are set up for success from day one with the right project assignments, shadowing opportunities, and resources.

Strategic Design Leadership & Technical Direction

  • Set the technical direction and quality bar for security designs - including construction drawings and specifications - covering cameras, access control systems, intrusion detection, perimeter fencing, gates, sallyports, hostile vehicle mitigation (HVM), and Perimeter Intrusion Detection Systems (PIDS) across Greenfield, Build-to-Suit (BTS), and Brownfield data center projects
  • Hold the team accountable for ensuring all security designs comply with the AWS Physical Security Standard (PSS) and Basis of Design (BOD) owner"s requirements, and that non-compliant conditions are proactively managed through the appropriate SPEAR process.
  • Establish and enforce QA/QC standards for consultant deliverable reviews at each design milestone (30%, 60%, 90%, 100%), ensuring the team delivers high-quality, timely feedback
  • Represent DE Security at key design forums including Security Page Turn meetings, Security Workgroup meetings, PIDS reviews, and cross-discipline coordination meetings, stepping in to resolve escalated technical issues as needed

Pre-Design Strategy & Due Diligence Oversight

  • Direct the team"s engagement during the pre-design phase, ensuring PSEs provide meaningful physical security input during site selection, Due Diligence (DD), and test fit reviews for new campus acquisitions
  • Review and approve security risk assessments and DD approval inputs, ensuring the team applies consistent risk evaluation criteria aligned to the DE Security Due Diligence Checklist
  • Identify and escalate site-specific security risks - including standoff distances, neighboring facility risks, traffic patterns, sallyport configurations, and natural hazard considerations - that could impact project schedule, cost, or security posture.

Standards Ownership & Programmatic Leadership

  • Own the team"s contribution to the AWS Security Basis of Design (BOD), driving updates in coordination with the BOD Release Management Team, SPEAR internal security standards and audit teams, and relevant Security SMEs to ensure requirements remain current and performance-based
  • Sponsor and oversee programmatic initiatives including Security BOD template updates, QAQC checklist improvements, and cross-discipline coordination tools, assigning initiative owners and holding the team accountable to delivery timelines
  • Partner with SPEAR, DCESS, internal security standards, solutions, and audit teams, and other AWS security stakeholders to shape design standards, influence policy, and ensure the AMER Leased/Owned program reflects best-in-class security engineering practice.

Construction Administration & Project Delivery Accountability

  • Hold the team accountable for PSE engagement during the construction administration phase, including oversight of RFI responses, product submittals, OAC meeting participation, and site visit execution
  • Ensure PSEs complete required construction site visits and Field Observation Reports per program standards, and that Design Handoff to Security Program Managers (SPMs) is executed completely and on time
  • Monitor project health across the portfolio, identify risks to cost, schedule, or security posture, and drive timely escalation and resolution

Senior Stakeholder Engagement & Escalation Management

  • Serve as the primary escalation point and senior decision-maker for security design issues across Leased/Owned projects in the AMER region, partnering with DE Design Managers, TPMs, Construction Managers, and senior AWS leadership to resolve conflicts and drive alignment
  • Represent DE Security at DE Finance Meetings, presenting the team"s security construction scope, PIDS conditions, retaining wall details, sallyport configurations, and BOD deviations to AWS Finance leadership
  • Build and maintain strong working relationships with Security Program Managers (SPMs), Cluster Security Managers (CSMs), Regional Security Managers (RSMs), and partner DE disciplines to ensure security is fully integrated into project delivery

Vendor Strategy & Procurement Oversight

  • Own the team"s engagement in the RFP process, ensuring security design scopes of work are complete, accurate, and reflective of known site complexities and AWS standards
  • Oversee vendor bid evaluations, pricing negotiations, and scope comprehension reviews in coordination with the DE Design Manager and DCSP procurement team
  • Drive accountability for vendor performance through annual Supplier Business Reviews (SBRs) and Security Vendor Feedback Surveys, using results to continuously improve the consultant management program

Travel

  • Travel for site assessments, due diligence reviews, in-person design coordination meetings, team offsites, construction site visits, and senior stakeholder engagement. Anticipated travel not to exceed 25-30%, with occasional international travel as required.

About the Company

A

Amazon.com Inc

At Amazon, we don’t wait for the next big idea to present itself. We envision the shape of impossible things and then we boldly make them reality. So far, this mindset has helped us achieve some incredible things. Let’s build new systems, challenge the status quo, and design the world we want to live in. We believe the work you do here will be the best work of your life.

Wherever you are in your career exploration, Amazon likely has an opportunity for you. Our research scientists and engineers shape the future of natural language understanding with Alexa. Fulfillment center associates around the globe send customer orders from our warehouses to doorsteps. Product managers set feature requirements, strategy, and marketing messages for brand new customer experiences. And as we grow, we’ll add jobs that haven’t been invented yet.

It’s Always Day 1
At Amazon, it’s always “Day 1.” Now, what does this mean and why does it matter? It means that our approach remains the same as it was on Amazon’s very first day – to make smart, fast decisions, stay nimble, invent, and stay focused on delighting our customers. In our 2016 shareholder letter, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos shared his thoughts on how to keep up a Day 1 company mindset. “Staying in Day 1 requires you to experiment patiently, accept failures, plant seeds, protect saplings, and double down when you see customer delight,” he wrote. “A customer-obsessed culture best creates the conditions where all of that can happen.” You can read the full letter here

Our Leadership Principles
Our Leadership Principles help us keep a Day 1 mentality. They aren’t just a pretty inspirational wall hanging. Amazonians use them, every day, whether they’re discussing ideas for new projects, deciding on the best solution for a customer’s problem, or interviewing candidates. To read through our Leadership Principles from Customer Obsession to Bias for Action, visit https://www.amazon.jobs/principles
COMPANY SIZE
10,000 employees or more
INDUSTRY
Retail
FOUNDED
1994
WEBSITE
http://Amazon.com/militaryroles